‘Absolute snoozefest’: F1 world blast Singapore GP as McLaren reign supreme

It may have been another huge weekend for McLaren in Singapore but a shock first has left F1 fans wanting much more.

4 min read

September 23, 2024 - 12:18AM

It was a tough race for the drivers with the heat in Singapore. Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP

McLaren star Lando Norris has romped to an easy victory in the Singapore Grand Prix with a commanding drive to keep the pressure on drivers’ championship leader Max Verstappen.

Despite being a mostly uneventful race where the undercut in the pits and some team order were about the most interesting talking points, it was just what the doctor ordered for McLaren, if not for fans.

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It was a near perfect race for Lando Norris a near miss on lap 29 when he locked up and brushed the wall.

He called into the team saying there was some damage on the front wing, which the team noted but it didn’t seem to effect him at all.

Another lap 45 moment where he brushed the wall was the only other issue in what was the most comfortable victory of his career.

Norris clipped on lap 29. Photo: Fox Sports

He hit again on lap 45. Photo: Fox Sports

Despite the near miss, Norris then drove the fastest lap of the race, until it was pinched late by Daniel Ricciardo.

“It was an amazing race,” Norris said after the win.

“A few too many close calls — I had a couple of little moments in the middle — but it was well controlled, I think, otherwise.

“The car was mega. I could push, we were flying the whole race, and at the end could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough, I’m a bit out of breath, but a fun one.”

Norris said his issue on the corners may have been taking it too easy rather than pushing too hard.

“It’s not that you are necessarily over-pushing, sometimes it can even be that you are just chilling too much,” Norris said of the pair of blunders.

“Maybe it was a bit of both, I don’t know what it is.

“It’s tricky. It’s still tough put there and easy to lock the tyres as I did. I still pushed, I didn’t want to have a one-second lead, I wanted to have the biggest lead possible.”

In what is his third win in Formula 1, the result was almost decided at the first corner after Norris had a barnstorming start, taking Verstappen easily off the line and building a lead from there.

It cleared another monkey off the Brit’s back after his previous five career pole positions had seen Norris end the first lap not in first place.

It was a huge result for Lando Norris. Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP

While Norris holds the record of most podiums (15) before claiming a race victory — a record which included eight second place finishes — he’s suddenly found winning quite easy.

After a seven second win in his first F1 win in Miami, Norris won in the Netherlands by 22 seconds. In Singapore, Norris won by almost 21 seconds as he went from pole to the win.

It got even better with Aussie Oscar Piastri claiming a ninth career podium, going from qualifying fifth to comfortably taking third place almost 21 seconds behind Verstappen.

And although the McLarens were split by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in second and Sergio Perez finishing a disappointing 10th, McLaren won the day with 40 points to 19, meaning their constructors’ championship lead has extended to 41 points.

It could have been even better if not for Ricciardo’s fastest lap despite finishing last in 18th after retirements for Williams’ Alexander Albon and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

It was a rough day for Ricciardo who started 16th, pitted early and ended up doing a three-stop race.

With rumours floating around that it will be Ricciardo’s final race before being kicked out of the car for Liam Lawson, it’s far from the way the eight-race winner will have wanted to go out.

Norris will also move to 52 points behind Verstappen’s drivers’ championship lead.

Norris was out by himself basically from lights out. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

With only six races left in the season, it would take a lot going the Brit’s way to make him world champion but the pressure still means Verstappen can’t afford to have any DNFs to the end of the season.

But despite the result setting up an intriguing final fans all said the same thing after it was the first Singapore Grand Prix without a safety car.

One fan wrote: “This gp boring as hell im about to go back to sleep.”

Another commented: “If McLaren wins again, things are going to get even more boring than they already are.”

A third commented: “This is the most boring race of the season. This is one circuit they need to look at changing.”

A fourth said: “Wow they really made a Singapore GP boring, didn’t know they could do that.”

A fifth asked: “Is it me or is the most boring Singapore GP ever??”

A sixth said: “Unpopular opinion but these f1 cars are not suited to street races and makes for boring races.”

A seventh commented: “An absolute snoozefest.”

The F1 now takes a break with a four-week gap before a three-weekend swing through the US Grand Prix in Austin, Mexico and Brazil.

2024 Singapore Grand Prix results

1) Lando Norris (McLaren)

2) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)