Lando Norris shines under Singapore lights

MCLAREN’S Lando Norris clinched pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, clocking in at 1:29.525 after an electrifying and dramatic qualifying session today (Sept 21), reports Damian Hall.

The McLaren driver outpaced the competition in a session filled with interruptions, close calls, and remarkable performances. This marks his first pole in Singapore, a circuit renowned for its difficulty and unforgiving nature.

Reflecting on the pressure of delivering in such a tense session, Norris said: “It was tough, especially through qualifying. I was finding it a little difficult to progress much and to get a lot of lap time, and all the guys around seemed to get quicker and quicker.

“So it put me under a little bit more pressure, especially with only one lap at the end. It was good enough for pole, and I am happy with that, especially here in Singapore. We got the job done.”

Norris had been in form throughout the weekend, topping Free Practice 3 with a 1:29.646, and carried that momentum into qualifying, where he delivered an exceptional lap in Q3, narrowly beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.203 seconds.

Starting second on the grid, Verstappen fought back from a challenging weekend. His Q3 was disrupted by a red flag caused by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who crashed at Turn 19, halting the session with just over 8 minutes remaining.

To make matters worse, the championship leader’s initial lap was deleted due to double yellow flags triggered by the same incident. Despite this, the three-time world champion managed to secure a front-row start.

Following the race, Verstappen said he was “happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday”.

He added: “Q3 was tough. Your lap gets cancelled with the double yellow, then everyone only has one run to do the lap, so you don’t want to overdo it. You want to stay within the limits. I’ll take second. I am happy with that.”

Meanwhile, Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton produced a brilliant final lap to secure third on the grid.

The seven-time world champion has struggled in qualifying throughout the season, but the technical Marina Bay circuit seemed to play to his strengths. Hamilton was particularly dominant in the third sector, where he set the fastest time of all.

Speaking after the race, Hamilton expressed relief after a season of qualifying frustrations: “Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long,” he said. “I’ve just been working and working, trying to get myself back up there. And all of a sudden, the car came alive in qualifying for the first time in a long time.”

The seven-time world champion added: “Getting that lap at the end was a little bit tricky. I think there may be a little bit left in the car, but I am really grateful for it and the mechanics. We’ve been moving up and down on balance. We changed everything each day, and the mechanics have just been faultless, so I want to say a big thank you to them. I hope we’re in a good position to fight for the front tomorrow.”

Hamilton’s 1:29.841 placed him just ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell, who will start fourth.

The session wasn’t kind to some of the sport’s biggest names. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez failed to make it through to Q3 and will start the race from 13th. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had his final lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits, leaving him to start from 9th, ahead of teammate Sainz in 10th.