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McLaren And Lando Norris Seek To Pressure Red Bull In F1’S Singapore Grand Prix
McLaren leads Red Bull in the Formula One constructors’ race. It is now up to Lando Norris to put pressure on Max Verstappen for the driver’s title.
Oscar Piastri’s victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last week propelled McLaren to the top of the teams’ rankings — the key to F1’s lucrative prize money — but teammate Norris only cut into Verstappen’s lead.
Norris overcame Verstappen late in the race to finish fourth, but the Dutch driver leads by 59 points going into the Singapore Grand Prix.
This week in F1, the spotlight has been on McLaren’s seemingly flexible rear wing, which could aid at high speeds. Piastri stated Thursday that it is lawful and not a “magic bullet” for their current success.
McLaren And Lando Norris Seek To Pressure Red Bull In F1’S Singapore Grand Prix
F1 looks wide open right now, with Ferrari and Mercedes both vying for victories. McLaren will still have to fight hard even if Red Bull isn’t in front on a track where Verstappen has never won.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fastest in Friday’s first practice, albeit only by 076 seconds over Norris. Carlos Sainz Jr. was third fastest in the other Ferrari, with Verstappen fourth.
In the second practice, Norris edged Leclerc by 058 seconds, ahead of Sainz, in a session that finished with George Russell sliding his Mercedes into a barrier. Verstappen was only 15th fastest, citing a lack of grip in low-speed bends.
Last year, Red Bull failed to win at only one track: Singapore. The team was unable to establish a competitive setup, and Verstappen remained significantly off the speed throughout the weekend, as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. claimed victory.
Red Bull left Azerbaijan with the hope that it had resolved at least some of the balancing issues caused by its attempts to enhance the car this season. Verstappen, who has now gone seven races without a win, was dissatisfied with the car in Baku but emphasised that it was down to a poor configuration choice more than underlying performance.
However, Singapore is slower than Baku and presents a more difficult circuit for Red Bull.
“Our car is generally not very good on bumps and curbs, which is obviously what you have around here, so we need to try to stabilise that a little,” Verstappen said Thursday in Singapore.
Street circuits suit Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, who has been quick in Baku in search of a podium result since April. However, colliding with Sainz meant that all of those efforts were in vain.
After Singapore, Red Bull and its second-team RB are anticipated to decide whether to keep Daniel Ricciardo as RB or recall Liam Lawson. Ricciardo stated that “decisions will be made” before the next race in Austin, Texas, on October 20.
Hamilton’s Criticism
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s attempts to reduce cursing have caused the latest feud between drivers and the regulatory body.
Ben Sulayem’s unfavourable reference to “rap music” attracted condemnation from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, F1’s sole Black driver. He stated that Ben Sulayem’s “stereotypical” language contained a “racial element.”
McLaren And Lando Norris Seek To Pressure Red Bull In F1’S Singapore Grand Prix
While Hamilton believed there was probably too much swearing in F1, Verstappen suggested that TV should be more conscientious about which radio clips are aired. “That will help a lot more than putting bans on drivers,” he told me. Verstappen was reprimanded on Friday for using an obscenity at a broadcast news conference the day before.
Sweat it out.
The heat and humidity of Singapore’s street circuit make it one of the most challenging events of the year for drivers. Even their water can get extremely heated, making it difficult to drink.
Mercedes driver George Russell revealed that he began specific training at the mid-season break a month ago, going for a run in three layers of clothing to mimic racing in fireproof dungarees in the Singapore heat.
“We lose almost four kilogrammes (8 pounds, 13 ounces) of fluids in in an hour-and-a-half race, so it’s a pretty good weight loss program if that’s what you’re chasing,” Russell told me on Thursday.
SOURCE | AP