Sport

Lando Norris clinches Singapore pole ahead of title rival Max Verstappen

The McLaren driver is 59 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship

A lizard walks on track during final practice ahead of the Singapore GP. Photograph: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
A lizard walks on track during final practice ahead of the Singapore GP. Photograph: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
Sat Sept 21 2024 - 16:09

Lando Norris boosted his world championship hopes by securing an impressive pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Under the thousand of bulbs that light up the Marina Bay circuit, Norris posted a dazzling lap to beat rival Max Verstappen by 0.203 seconds.

Lewis Hamilton qualified third for Mercedes, one place ahead of team-mate George Russell, with Oscar Piastri fifth for McLaren.

Q3 was red-flagged with eight minutes and four seconds remaining after Carlos Sainz crashed out in his Ferrari.

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The Spaniard, who won in the city state last season, was gearing up for his quick lap, but he lost control through the final corner and ended up in the wall.

At that stage only Verstappen, Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg had set a lap time, although the former’s was deleted for failing to slow down under waved yellows following Sainz’s accident.

Verstappen protested his innocence but the decision stood. A 16-minute suspension followed and the delay meant the leading contenders would be restricted to just one shot at glory.

But, in the pressure cauldron of fighting for the world crown, Norris kept his cool to land his fifth pole of the season and sixth in all.

When starting from the front of the pack, Norris has failed to end the opening lap in the lead. The McLaren man will be keen to rewrite history in his bid to land his third victory and reduce the championship deficit to Verstappen.

Lando Norris (centre) is P1 for Sunday's race, with Max Verstappen (left) and Lewis Hamilton (right) starting from second and third respectively. Photograph: Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images
Lando Norris (centre) is P1 for Sunday's race, with Max Verstappen (left) and Lewis Hamilton (right) starting from second and third respectively. Photograph: Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images

Norris trails Verstappen by 59 points but there are still 206 points to play for across the remaining seven rounds.

“The car has been feeling good and when you are confident you can push and get the lap time,” said Norris. “I did the job today and I am excited to see what we can do tomorrow.

“I had faith we were quick so I knew I didn’t have to over-push. It was nice I didn’t have to go over and beyond because it is easy to overdrive and you pay the price when you do that but I kept it cool.”

Verstappen has never been on pole here and never won and he arrived in Singapore on a seven-race winless streak, a statistic that would have been considered inconceivable at the beginning of the year when he opened his bid for a fourth world title with seven victories from the opening 10.

However, the Dutchman will be delighted to join Norris on the front row, particularly given Sergio Perez could manage only 13th in the other Red Bull.

Verstappen, who was only 15th in practice on Friday, said: “I am happy to be on the front row when you look at where we came from.

“I will take second. Tomorrow it will be difficult to say. Singapore, a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot.”

Seven-time world champion Hamilton, three tenths back from Norris, added: “Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long but I have been working and working to get back up there and all of a sudden the car came alive for the first time in qualifying for a while.

“There was a tiny bit more left in the car but I am really grateful for it.”

Daniel Ricciardo failed to make it out of Q1 in what could be the Australian’s final Formula One appearance.

There is mounting speculation that the eight-time grand prix winner is set to be replaced at RB by Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson.

Only a strong showing here might have spared Ricciardo’s fate – with an announcement that he is on his way out mooted as early as next week.

However, Ricciardo (35) will start just 16th on Sunday after falling at the first hurdle, qualifying three tenths slower than team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Qualifying came after the final practice session was halted after a large lizard made its way on to the track, forcing marshals to try catch the rogue reptile.

Drivers watched in amusement as the monitor lizard, a familiar sight in Singapore, reacted to the chase with a sudden burst of speed after sauntering on to the circuit shortly after the start of the daylight session.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, with his team-mate Lance Stroll the only other driver on track at that time, was alerted to the lizard’s high-risk walk in the final sector. “We are told the track is clear but just have a look for the lizard,” the Spaniard was told over team radio. “No, it’s in the middle of the track,” the double world champion replied as he skirted it and returned to the pit lane.

Lizards have been a regular hazard at the grand prix, with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase dubbing one particularly large specimen “Godzilla” in 2016.