Singapore Showdown: Lando Norris Cautions McLaren as Ferrari Closes the Gap

Lando Norris cautions McLaren despite feeling positive in Singapore

"I expected to have a significantly larger lead, which indicates they have strong speed."

Lando Norris confessed that he expected to have a “significantly larger lead” over Charles Leclerc after performing well in Friday’s F1 practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Norris led the second practice session, finishing just under a tenth of a second ahead of Leclerc.

Similar to the situation in Azerbaijan, it appears that the competition for the win will be primarily between McLaren and Ferrari.

Looking back on the day, Norris felt quite satisfied with McLaren's performance, though he wished for a more substantial lead.

"The speed is satisfying and I'm feeling well," Norris commented. "It was a smooth lap as well. We are meeting our expectations to compete at the front alongside Ferrari."

“It was an excellent lap. Charles is just 0.08 seconds behind. I was expecting a much larger gap, to be honest, which indicates they have good speed."

"Ferrari has impressive speed. Everything is progressing smoothly at the moment."

Norris mentioned that the way his McLaren handled was immediately satisfying.

He remarked that his initial feedback to the team was that everything seemed positive from the start. He continued, stating that their team consistently excels in early performance, which he considers a strong point. However, he noted that they often don't advance as much as their competitors.

"We'll have to wait and see; it’s going to be tight. We're in a good spot, and I don’t think there’s much we can alter."

"We're just aiming to make some improvements, smooth out some issues, and accelerate the process a bit. That's all we can do."

Norris is not shocked by how fast Ferrari is, especially with Leclerc driving.

Leclerc secured both the pole position and victory in Monaco, and he also posted the fastest time in Azerbaijan.

Even though McLaren began impressively, he cautioned that his top performance didn't have much additional speed left to gain.

"Charles excels on street circuits," he stated. "We've witnessed his skills in Baku and Monaco. I'm confident he's pleased with his performance. If he's not, I'm concerned about the race ahead. Personally, I think I delivered a solid lap and maximized my efforts on Friday."

"I usually like to have some room for improvement rather than being perfect from the start. It's a solid beginning to the weekend. We're in a strong position, and I'll be pleased if we can maintain this momentum."

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