Lando Norris win in sweltering Singapore takes him within 52 points of Max Verstappen

After all the talk of swearing in the build-up, this was one Singapore Grand Prix which could have done with being a bit more X-rated. A rather uneventful race by Marina Bay’s standards did not produce much in the way of fireworks, but it did at least squeeze the title race a little, Lando Norris’s third win of his career reducing his deficit to Max Verstappen to 52 points with six races of the season remaining.

Could it still happen? Could Norris still pull this off? Certainly. McLaren now have by far the fastest car on the grid. Norris’s winning margin here was over 20 seconds, the sort of yawning chasm Red Bull enjoyed at the start of the season.

Verstappen’s ability to wring every last drop out of his Red Bull is an issue for him, though.

Even here, at a track Verstappen has never much enjoyed, and off the back of a difficult weekend, the Dutch driver was able to finish second, beating Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri by 20 seconds, to ensure he lost only seven points to Norris in the championship.

That Verstappen did not lose eight was down to RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, who in what was probably his final race in F1, did a job for his team’s parent company, bolting on a new set of soft tyres on the penultimate lap and successfully denying Lando Norris his fastest lap bonus point.

“Thank you, Daniel,” noted Verstappen when he was informed on his in-lap of what Ricciardo had done.

Verstappen knows only too well that every point counts, which is why McLaren’s refusal to implement team orders earlier in the season could come back to haunt them. As it stands, Norris needs to beat Verstappen by an average of just over eight points per race if he is to take his maiden world title. Not an impossible task by any means, particularly if Verstappen fails to finish a race between now and Abu Dhabi. But things might have been a lot closer.

Norris did a professional job here. Having had so many stinkers off the start line this year, he got away cleanly and led from lights to chequered flag, extending his lead at around a second a lap for most of the first half of the race. There were a couple of heart-in-mouth moments when he brushed walls and survived. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called Norris a “lucky b------” afterwards. “Hitting the wall once is usually a wake-up call,” he said. “To hit it twice, somebody is smiling on you.”

Horner ought to be careful using such language. Verstappen has only just been sentenced to community service for swearing in an official FIA press conference, though the Dutch driver, who had refused to answer questions after qualifying on Saturday in protest at what he described as a “ridiculous punishment” for using the f-word, was back to doing so on Sunday.

Verstappen admitted he was delighted with second place and expressed hope that he would be closer in Austin next time. “Hopefully now we can kick-start things,” he said.

Hamilton furious at Mercedes strategy

Behind the front three, Mercedes’ George Russell, who complained of understeer, oversteer and of feeling as if he was “in a sauna”, just about held off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for fourth, while Russell’s team mate Lewis Hamilton was sixth, having started third.

The only driver in the top 10 to have started the race on softs, Hamilton was not at all happy about his strategy. “You’re killing me with this offset,” he complained at one point. Intriguingly, neither Hamilton nor Russell turned up for their media duties afterwards. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said they were both suffering from “borderline heatstroke”. But every other driver made it.

Otherwise, the biggest stories of the day came off the track: Formula One’s longstanding general counsel Sacha Woodward-Hill leaving after 28 years; Dan Fallows gone at Aston Martin ahead of Adrian Newey’s arrival next season.

We still have two championships to decide by then. McLaren look a safe bet for the constructors’ title now, but can they bag the double? That remains to be seen. Asked whether he expected it to go down to the wire, Norris admitted he was not sure.

“I hope it does. There are still a lot of points to catch up and that will not be easy to do. Max and Red Bull are one of the most dominant pairings ever seen in Formula One. And that hasn’t changed. It is the same team and same driver so I have some tough competition.

“Our car is quicker than theirs, and that is down to the team being smart. That is the game. I am working my butt off to try and make sure it happens but he is doing the same to make sure it doesn’t.”

Norris hits wall twice but wins Singapore GP: As it happened

03:11 PM BST

Congrats to Lando Norris

That was never in doubt. Verstappen gave it his best shot but could never really lay a glove on him. Piastri with a good drive. Sidebar of minor interest is that Ricciardo picked up the point for fastest lap, which might or might not be significant when they tally it all up. Thanks for following.

02:56 PM BST

Norris to Sky

“An amazing race. A few too many close calls. It was well controlled otherwise. Fun. Sometimes it is not that you are pushing too much but that you are chilling too much. Good day for the team.”

David Coulthard, interviewing, now pours a jug of water over the head of Lando Norris. Hard to see David Frost doing that.

02:55 PM BST

Verstappen to Sky

“I was really racing by myself. First set of tires had degredation. We need to improve more and more. Yes my lead is ebbing away but a lot can happen. Always tough around here, warm and a long race,”

02:53 PM BST

Piastri to Sky

“It was warm. Good recovery from qualifying. Big thing for the team, the car was exceptional. Bit close with George at turn one but overall I didn’t take too many risks.”

02:48 PM BST

Fastest lap

goes to Daniel Ricciardo, in what might be his final race. Told of this news, Verstappen says “thank you Daniel”

02:46 PM BST

Places

Verstappen is second, Piastri is third, Russell four, Leclerc fifth, Hamilton sixth.

02:45 PM BST

Lando Norris wins the Singapore GP

His third win of the season and he has bossed this from the word go.

02:36 PM BST

Lap 58

1. Norris

2. Verstappen

3. Piastri

4. Russell

5. Leclerc

6. Hamilton

7. Sainz

8. Alonso

There are at least three seconds between each of the above so this looks likely to be the finishing order.

02:35 PM BST

Lap 57

Lando Norris is riding his luck, he has brushed the wall twice now. Still, he’s driven very well also. Impressive front-running display.

02:22 PM BST

Lap 46

Oscar Piastri passes George Russell in P3.

02:20 PM BST

Lizard

02:19 PM BST

Lap 45

Sweet piece of driving from Piastri as he goes past Lewis Hamilton.

02:09 PM BST

Lap 40

Norris is bossing this from the front, just keeps pulling away and away.

02:08 PM BST

Lap 38

Colapinto off the track. Overtakes Ricciardo. That might earn him a slap on the wrist.

02:01 PM BST

Lap 35

1. Norris

2. Piastri

3. Verstappen

4. Leclerc

5. Russell

6. Hamilton

Norris is about nine seconds ahead, Verstappen has gone back into third

02:00 PM BST

Lap 31

But the Norris car damage is not severe.

01:51 PM BST

Lap 30

Norris has damaged the front wing of his car.

01:47 PM BST

Lap 27

Lewis: “Something is definitely wrong with the car mate the tires are dropping off.”

01:46 PM BST

Lap 26

Hamilton is grumbling about his tires to the team and he has bungled the overtake of Tsunoda.

01:41 PM BST

Lap 23

McLaren are telling Lando Norris to go as long as he can on the mediums. It’s a 17 second gap as it stands.

01:37 PM BST

Lap 21

Hamilton says “I think I might have clipped the wall.”

01:34 PM BST

Lap 18

Lewis Hamilton is into the pits and he emerges with some new hard tires.

01:33 PM BST

Lap 17

Alex Albon of Williams has retired.

01:28 PM BST

Lap 15

Not a lot of overtaking to tell you about.

Nico Hulkenberg is sixth. He says on the team radio that but he is “sliding around like hell” now on his medium tyres.

01:20 PM BST

Lap 10

Norris has increased his lead over Verstappen to four seconds.

01:18 PM BST

Lap 8

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

01:14 PM BST

Lap 6

Norris is about 1.8 seconds ahead from Max V and Hamilton, on soft tires, is getting further adrift in third.

01:13 PM BST

Lap 5

The front two are pulling away here.

01:12 PM BST

Lap 2

Colapinto with a good first lap. Norris increasing his lead.

01:04 PM BST

Lap 1

Norris away well, and through the first turn ok. Quick start from Lewis Hamilton but he’s not besting Verstappen.

Hukelnberg passes Piastri, but not for long.

01:04 PM BST

Lights out!

Lando away well.

01:00 PM BST

Drivers are ready

The tracks is clearing. Lando Norris is on pole but Verstappen, second, has the inside line coming to the first bend.

12:56 PM BST

Stats

Four DRS zones, 62 laps.

12:44 PM BST

Lenny Kravitz

“Super excited, very happy to be here.”

Brundle: “Ok that’s it, now time for the anthems.”

12:40 PM BST

Horner

“Mega lap in qualifying, hopefully we can give the McLaren a harder time today.”

12:37 PM BST

Grid walk time

Martin has buttonholed Sir Mark Cavendish.

12:37 PM BST

Jackie

12:27 PM BST

Constructors

12:09 PM BST

The standings

12:09 PM BST

Qualifying times

1 Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1min 29.525secs

2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:29.728

3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:29.841

4 George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:29.867

5 Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:29.953

6 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Haas F1 1:30.115

7 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:30.214

8 Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) RB 1:30.354

9 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari No Time Set

10 Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) Ferrari No Time Set

11 Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:30.474

12 Franco Colapinto (Arg) Williams 1:30.481

13 Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:30.579

14 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:30.653

15 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1:30.769

16 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) RB 1:31.085

17 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:31.094

18 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:31.312

19 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Kick Sauber 1:31.572

20 Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Kick Sauber 1:32.054

11:05 AM BST

Good morning

Welcome to our live coverage for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, from the Marina Bay Street Circuit. In qualifying yesterday Lando Norris took pole position for today’s race, however, his championship rival Max Verstappen will line up alongside him. That has not happened too much in the past couple of months with Red Bull’s struggles. This was a track where the RB20 was expected to struggle but Verstappen, naturally, pulled out a lap good enough to put him on the front row.

The drivers’ championship is still definitely on for McLaren’s Norris but he needs to take bigger chunks out of Verstappen’s 59-point lead than he has been doing. Yes, he fought back from 15th on the grid last week in Baku to fourth (ahead of Verstappen) but that will not be enough. A win here would be a good start but it would be handy if the Dutchman finished down the field a little. That is not to say that will not happen, but Singapore is a track where overtaking comes at a premium so that is no guarantee.

Another issue for Norris has been his opening laps which have, for want of a better word, have been appalling this year. Pole positions have been squandered and doing that here, to Verstappen, would mean McLaren would need to win the race strategically, most likely. Of course, this is a street circuit with the threat of crashes, yellow and red flags and the unexpected never far around the corner.

Lining up in third and fourth will be the Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who had a - perhaps unexpectedly - excellent qualifying session. Ferrari could only manage ninth and tenth after winning in Monza at the start of this month and challenging for victory in Baku last week. It will be a very long way back from them from there, with even a Haas, an Aston Martin and an RB ahead of them.

The race begins at 1pm BST and we will be here for the build-up, live action and reaction from it.