Lando Norris has openly expressed his doubts about whether McLaren will be sort out a lingering problem with his car that is sapping straight‑line speed as the team heads into the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. The British driver, who has been one of the sport’s standout performers this year, captured three pole positions and two race wins in the four events that bracketed the mid‑season break. However, his form has dipped noticeably in the two races that followed the hiatus, leaving him and the team searching for answers.
In Azerbaijan and Malaysia Norris could only manage a fifth‑place start in both qualifying sessions. A crash at the Baku street circuit forced him out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix altogether, while in Malaysia, which hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix due to scheduling changes, he finished ninth after a race riddled with mistakes. The underlying cause of his reduced pace appears to be a technical fault that has, at times, made him slower than his teammate Oscar Piastri around particular sections of the Sepang International Circuit. When pressed by Sky Sports F1 about the likelihood of a fix before the upcoming Sprint race in Singapore, Norris replied bluntly: “I have no idea.
The team are working on it but I’m losing almost two‑tenths per lap. Two‑tenths over a 55‑lap sprint is excruciatingly painful.
It’s making my life very difficult.” He added that the problem is not an excuse for his lackluster performance in Malaysia, insisting that he must improve his own driving as well as rely on the engineers to sort the car. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged that the competition may have made larger developmental strides while McLaren has been relatively stagnant.
After a promising showing at the Hungarian Grand Prix – where an upgrade package helped Norris secure the team’s first pole and victory of the season – the momentum seemed to falter. Subsequent upgrades have not closed the gap, and rivals such as Mercedes and Red Bull have continued to dominate, with George Russell winning in Azerbaijan and Max Verstappen taking the win in Malaysia.
Stella commented on the rapidly shifting landscape of Formula 1 development: “We saw a scenario where we introduced upgrades in Hungary, earned pole positions in Hungary and Zandvoort, and were even in a position to win in Madrid without a Virtual Safety Car. Then, very quickly, as other teams also brought upgrades, the picture changed. We need to examine our own development path.
Our data shows no obvious anomalies, but we must recognise that some competitors may have progressed in bigger steps than we have.” The extreme heat and abrasive track surface in Malaysia created conditions that were arguably an outlier, and Stella believes this may have contributed to the car’s erratic behaviour. He suggested that the unique environment in Singapore could offer a more favourable setting for the team to assess the effectiveness of their recent upgrades. “There are very specific conditions in Malaysia, so we should give ourselves more time to understand them,” he said. “From a layout perspective, Sepang seemed like a decent circuit for us, and we hope Singapore will provide clearer answers about our car’s performance.” Looking ahead, the Singapore Grand Prix will host the final Sprint weekend of the season, with the action slated to begin on Friday.
The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and viewers can stream the coverage via NOW with a flexible, no‑contract subscription. In summary, Norris’s candid admission underscores the frustration felt by both driver and team as they grapple with a performance‑hindering issue that costs roughly two‑tenths of a second per lap. While McLaren has introduced several upgrades since their Hungarian success, the rapid development pace of rivals has left them playing catch‑up. The team’s technical staff, led by Stella, are analysing data from the Malaysian event to determine whether the problem stems from the car’s setup, the harsh track conditions, or a deeper engineering flaw.
Singapore’s distinct circuit characteristics may either highlight lingering weaknesses or reveal that the car is better suited to the slower, more technical layout, offering a crucial test before the season’s final stretch. Regardless of the outcome, Norris remains determined to extract the maximum from his machinery. He acknowledges that personal improvement is also part of the equation, stating, “There are things I can do better and the team as well.” As the paddock prepares for another high‑stakes weekend, all eyes will be on McLaren to see if they can close the performance gap and restore the competitive edge that once saw them battling for pole positions and race wins.