McLaren driver Lando Norris drove from pole to victory under the Marina Bay Street Circuit’s floodlights in the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2024. Completing the podium were Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen in second and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in third. Norris’ win closes the point gap to championship rival Verstappen to 52 points, with the latter on the hunt for his fourth driver’s title in 2024. It is Norris’ first win at the Singapore Grand Prix. McLaren are currently leading the World Constructors’ Championship with drivers Norris and Piastri.
Background
The Singapore Grand Prix is renowned for its challenging street circuit and night-time setting, making it one of the most anticipated races on the Formula 1 calendar. This year’s race was particularly significant as it marked the first time in history that the event concluded without a safety car deployment. Last year, Carlos Sainz won from pole position, and it was the only race in the 22-race season that Red Bull did not win.
Race summary
Turn 1
Norris led the pack down turn 1, with Hamilton challenging Verstappen but ultimately yielding. Hamilton sported the grippier soft compound tyres, which are faster than the medium compound tyres but degrade more. The rest of the pack emerged out of lap 1 unscathed. Norris was told to pull a five-second gap to increase his advantage over Verstappen, which he did with ease.
Scattered pit stops
The first to pit was Visa Cash App RB (VCARB)’s Daniel Ricciardo in an attempt to try a different strategy from the rest of the pack. William’s Alexander Albon pitted in response to undercut Ricciardo, proving the undercut to be a superior strategy around Marina Bay Street Circuit. However, his race soon ended when he retired the car on lap 15 due to an overheating issue. Hamilton was the first to pit amongst the top three on lap 18.
Norris pulls ahead
Norris pulled a sizeable gap ahead of around 20 seconds to Verstappen, as Hamilton complained about pitting too early. This meant that during the later part of the race, he would have a more difficult time gaining speed and defending against other drivers who have fresher tyres. VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda passed Hamilton on lap 26, after the latter went wide around a corner. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc passed a defensive Nico Hulkenberg on lap 29, having spent the race being stuck behind the Haas.
Verstappen pits
Verstappen pulled into the pits on lap 30 as Norris locked up into turn 14, clipping the barriers and sustaining light damage to his front wing. He emerged behind Leclerc, who he soon passed. He pitted on lap 37, having waited out for a safety car that did not come. Urged to stay out by his team, Piastri was finally called into the pits at lap 39. He emerged behind both Mercedes.
Piastri hunts down the Mercedes
With fresher tyres, Oscar flew past Hamilton on lap 40, with the latter sporting 22-lap-old tyres. Out in front, Norris extended his lead to Verstappen by over 23 seconds. Driver order swaps were done by VCARB and Ferrari, with Ricciardo letting Tsunoda through and Carlos Sainz letting Leclerc through. Piastri made it past Russell on lap 45, the Australian driver on the way to a podium. Norris clipped a wall again on lap 48 but escaped unscathed once again. Haas’ Kevin Magnussen sustained a puncture to his tyre, having hit the wall at turn 5. He made his way back to the pits, where the team equipped soft compound tyres on his car. He plunged down the order to last place. Russell and Leclerc battled till the end, with the former managing to defend all the way to the line.
Norris wins
In the end, Norris clinched victory around the streets of Marina Bay. Daniel Ricciardo achieved the fastest lap in the race on the last lap. However, he does not get a point as he is not amongst the top 10 finishers. Rumours that the Singapore Grand Prix might be his last race with the team have run rampant over the past few weeks due to poor performance. His seat is set to be filled by reserve driver Liam Lawson.
Future implications
Norris’ victory not only narrows the gap to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship but also strengthens McLaren’s lead in the World Constructors’ Championship. With only a few races left in the season, every point will be crucial for both Norris and Verstappen. The absence of a safety car in this year’s race could influence team strategies in future Singapore Grands Prix, as teams may now reconsider their approach to pit stops and tyre management.
