Lando Norris cruised to a 20 second victory over title rival Max Verstappen, with Oscar Piastri a further 20 seconds back in third, during a dreary Sunday race in Singapore.
The weekend started under a cloud with three-time World Champion, and current Championship leader, Verstappen, threatening to retire from the sport as a result of new legislation punishing the drivers with unpaid community service as a consequence of swearing in the cockpit.
With that in mind, it was a remarkable effort from Verstappen to qualify second at the only track on the calendar he is yet to win at, with Norris on pole, and Lewis Hamilton in third.
However, it could have been even better for the current Championship leader, as having set the two fastest sector times, Verstappen was forced to abort his hot lap when Carlos Sainz spun off into the barriers, and the session was red flagged.
This capped a miserable qualifying for Ferrari, as Charles Leclerc qualified only in 9th when his lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits.
On a street circuit where overtaking is known to be difficult, the crucial nature of qualifying was showcased by the ease with which Norris held onto the lead. The facility of his victory was highlighted by how, despite suffering front wing damage, he still won by over 20 seconds.
Nevertheless, the race was not entirely without incident, with Mercedes’ unsuccessful attempt to undercut Verstappen resulting in Hamilton dropping three places to finish sixth, whilst Leclerc mounted a superb recovery drive to finish fifth.
The net effect of the race is that Norris has cut Verstappen’s title lead to 52 points, whilst Mclaren have increased their lead in the Constructors Championship to 41 points over Mercedes.
Next, the drivers will head to Austin, Texas, after which there will only be five races left of the season.
Nevertheless, in some sad news, it is likely that out of form Visa Cash App RB Team driver Daniel Ricciardo will not be joining the other drivers, as it is reported he will be replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson. If it is the end for the legendary “Honey Badger”, his colourful personality will be missed by all in Formula One.
“Red Bull RB14 / Max Verstappen / Aston Martin Red Bull Racing” by Renzopaso is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.