McLaren has clarified its decision not to pit Lando Norris in pursuit of the fastest lap during the Singapore Grand Prix, focusing instead on securing a dominant race win. Norris, who started from pole position, controlled the race from the front, ultimately crossing the finish line 20 seconds ahead of his championship rival Max Verstappen. However, he missed out on the extra point for the fastest lap when Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo strapped on fresh Soft tires in the final stages to snatch the accolade.
Despite building a 28-second gap over Verstappen at one point, which would have been enough to pit and attempt the fastest lap, McLaren opted against it. Team boss Andrea Stella explained that the decision was driven by the desire to avoid the risks associated with backmarkers on a tight street circuit like Marina Bay.
“It was all about no issues, no mistakes, no lock-ups,” Stella said, emphasizing the importance of bringing the car home safely. “We had seen already in practice that as soon as you are behind a slow car, things look like there’s something wrong with the car. It’s just the effect of the dirty air. So the focus was entirely on bringing the car home.”
McLaren did consider having Norris extend his lead to create a pit stop window, but ultimately decided against it. “We suggested to Lando to have an attempt at the fastest lap, which he achieved, but after that, we didn’t want to talk about fastest lap anymore,” Stella added.
Norris’ Reaction and Close Calls with the Barriers
Norris was supportive of the team’s strategy, acknowledging the challenges of navigating through turbulent air from backmarkers. The Briton revealed that his two brushes with the barrier came when he encountered turbulence ahead, unsettling his car’s handling.
“I hit the front wing against the barrier, so it might have tweaked it a touch, but I don’t think it changed much,” Norris recalled. “On these cars, as soon as you tweak something a tiny bit, it can have quite a big impact, but nothing that I was probably feeling.”
Norris explained that the dirty air from cars ahead, even when several seconds in front, affected his car’s grip and downforce, making the final laps more challenging. “It just caught me out. So it wasn’t like a lack of concentration or anything. It was just a bit of a surprise to me,” he noted.
Pushing to Open a Gap for a Potential Stop
Norris admitted that he had been pushing hard towards the end of the race, trying to create a pit window that would allow him to stop for fresh tires and go for the fastest lap if needed. “I was definitely not cruising,” Norris said. “I was pushing to open up a gap. At one point, I wanted to try and open up a pit window to give myself an opportunity to maybe box at the end of the race for the quickest lap.”
However, with Ricciardo ultimately taking the fastest lap, Norris expressed some frustration but understood the team’s approach. “Daniel stole that away from me at the end of the race,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. The car was not easy to drive, especially on the Hard tyres. I struggled a lot more than what I did on the Medium. And especially just with the traffic and things, it was a bit harder to manage.”
Despite missing out on the extra point, Norris’ performance in Singapore showcased his ability to dominate the field, even under challenging conditions. As McLaren continues to focus on maximizing race results, the decision not to pit Norris was a calculated move to secure a valuable victory without unnecessary risks.
