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Norris happy with Singapore result after ‘stressful’ final 10 laps

Published on 22 Sep 2019 17:50
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By: Dieter Rencken & Rob Watts

Lando Norris rated his Singapore Grand Prix performance as one of his best yet in F1 after an assured drive earned him seventh-place on his first visit to the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

After steering clear of the lap one incident between team-mate Carlos Sainz and Renault's Nico Hulkenberg, Norris’ pace was strong enough to keep him at the head of the midfield pack for much of the race and put him in position to chase down Red Bull’s Alexander Albon in the closing stages.

The result, which was Norris’s seventh points score of the season, extends McLaren’s lead over power-unit supplier Renault in the race for fourth in the constructors’ championship.

“I think it was one of my stronger weekends. I started off a bit behind Carlos mainly because of the experience and him having been here several times before. I made one mistake, a bad mistake, all weekend, which was my Q3 lap, but the rest of it was good, better than Monza and a lot of other tracks,” said Norris.

Asked if he found his first Singapore Grand Prix less physically demanding than expected, Norris said, “No, it was still very tough. If the whole race was like the final 10 laps, [when I was] under pressure and having to push, I'd be probably be sweating more and I'd definitely say I was more tired.

“The first half of the race everyone was driving so slow, trying to save tyres and go as far into the race as possible, we must have been three or four seconds per lap off a normal pace. It was only the final 10 laps when we really had to push, but it was still stressful,

"It’s so hot and your eyes would sting sometimes because the sweat would go in but apart from that it wasn’t too bad.”

With three safety car periods to contend with, Norris said his final 10 laps were “stressful” but in a direct comparison with Red Bull’s Albon towards the end of the race, he felt McLaren can come away happy with its pace this weekend.

“I don’t think we could have done a lot better today,” Norris said. “It was still not a straightforward race, I still had to push and work for it at certain times but the rest of it I could relax a bit more apart from the final ten laps when I came under a bit more pressure.

“Alex and mine’s pace was fairly similar, he was a bit quicker, but Gasly and Hulkenberg were a lot quicker. I think they had new tyres, new mediums, so they were putting me under a lot of pressure.

“I think I was a lot more stressed from behind than maybe what Alex was. I still tried but Alex didn’t make any mistakes so fair play to him. It was still a stressful last 10 or 15 laps but we held on and I did what I needed to do.”

ajpennypacker

Posts: 2,475

Finally, Norris has been best of the rest at least 2 other times this season where he was DNF

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Sep 22 2019 - 21:39

F1 News Lando Norris McLaren

Replies (4)

ajpennypacker

Posts: 2,475
Finally, Norris has been best of the rest at least 2 other times this season where he was DNF
- + 1
- Sep 22 2019 - 21:39
abhidbgt

Posts: 283
Deserved.
- + 0
- Sep 23 2019 - 04:55
Kean

Posts: 692
The kid continues to impress. Didn't see much of him in the race, but finishing best of the rest is a job well done. That lap in q2 though! Yeah he botched q3, but still... that lap in q2, wow!
- + 1
- Sep 23 2019 - 07:12
- abhidbgt
  
  Posts: 283
  Yes, that Q2 lap was amazing.
  + 0
  
  Sep 23 2019 - 10:41