Norris Sabet Pole F1 GP Singapura 2024, Kalahkan Verstappen
Lando Norris from McLaren secured a crucial pole position for the 2024 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, outpacing championship rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.203 seconds in a dramatic qualifying session at Marina Bay. This achievement on Saturday, September 21, 2024, marked Norris's sixth career pole and positioned him favorably to challenge Verstappen's lead in the Drivers' Championship, which stood at 59 points with seven rounds remaining.
The qualifying session was significantly impacted by a crash involving Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari at the final corner during Q3, resulting in a red flag and effectively turning the session into a single-lap shootout for most drivers. Norris, despite admitting to finding it "a little difficult to progress much" and feeling "a bit more pressure" with only one lap remaining, delivered a blistering time of 1 minute 29.525 seconds. His McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, qualified fifth.
Verstappen, who had struggled with grip throughout practice sessions in his Red Bull, expressed satisfaction with a front-row start, acknowledging the significant improvements made by his team. "I'm very happy with second today after yesterday," Verstappen stated, adding, "the car was very slow it was not even bad to drive it was just slow. So we really made a lot of changes." He also noted Red Bull's historical challenges on street circuits, particularly at Marina Bay. Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell secured third and fourth positions, respectively, marking one of their stronger qualifying performances of the season. Ferrari, on the other hand, endured a difficult session with Sainz's crash relegating him to tenth and Charles Leclerc dropping to ninth after a lap time deletion for exceeding track limits.
The Marina Bay Street Circuit, a 5.063-kilometer track with 23 corners, is renowned for its demanding nature, characterized by tight chicanes, narrow sections, and high humidity, making it one of the most physically strenuous races for drivers. Its unique night race format, illuminated by over 1,600 floodlights, adds a distinct visual and operational challenge, influencing visibility and track temperatures. Red Bull has historically faced difficulties at Singapore, attributed to the circuit's characteristics that demand a nimble front end and effective kerb-riding, areas where their car sometimes struggles. This recurring pattern was evident in 2023 when Verstappen finished fifth and Sergio Perez eleventh, breaking a remarkable 15-race winning streak for the team. Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal, had previously acknowledged a "setup problem" in Singapore, where the car was not in its "right operating window" for a single lap.
Norris's pole position, and subsequent victory in the race, underscored McLaren's strong performance on maximum downforce circuits, a characteristic noted by McLaren boss Andrea Stella. This result provided Norris a crucial opportunity to narrow the championship gap to Verstappen, emphasizing the strategic importance of qualifying at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Verstappen, despite his championship lead, openly challenged the FIA during the post-qualifying press conference regarding a penalty for swearing, highlighting ongoing tensions between the governing body and drivers. The incident added another layer of intrigue to an already high-stakes race weekend.