Lando Norris has openly expressed his uncertainty about whether McLaren will be sort out a mysterious performance problem that is sapping straight‑line speed from his car ahead of the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix sprint weekend. The British driver, who has enjoyed a strong start to the season with three pole positions and two race wins spread across the pre‑summer break, has seen his form dip dramatically in the two races that followed the hiatus.
In Azerbaijan and Malaysia Norris could only manage a fifth‑place start in both qualifying sessions. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended abruptly for him when he was caught up in a collision that forced his retirement, while the Malaysian round – technically the Bahrain Grand Prix held at the Sepang International Circuit – saw him finish a disappointing ninth after a race riddled with errors and a noticeable loss of pace compared with his teammate Oscar Piastri. The root cause of the speed deficit remains a mystery for the McLaren engineering team. Data from Sepang suggests that Norris was slower than Piastri in certain sectors of the circuit, indicating a possible aerodynamic imbalance or a power‑unit issue that is yet to be pinpointed.
When asked by Sky Sports F1 whether the team would have the problem solved in time for the Sprint race in Singapore, Norris replied candidly: "I have no idea. The team are trying but I'm losing almost two tenths a lap.
Two tenths a lap over 55 laps is just painful as hell. It's making my life pretty damn difficult." He went on to acknowledge that the Malaysian event had exposed additional shortcomings.
"In Malaysia I could have done better. I can't just have that. That's not just an excuse," he said, emphasizing that both driver and team needed to improve. Norris added that he was aware of other factors that might be at play, noting that the high temperatures and abrasive track surface in Malaysia created a unique set of challenges that could have amplified the car's deficiencies.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed the sentiment that the competition has been developing at a rapid pace. He admitted that rival outfits may have taken larger developmental steps than McLaren in recent weeks. "We see a scenario in Formula 1 which seems to be changing pretty rapidly," Stella explained. "In Hungary we took some upgrades and were in condition to have a pole position in Hungary and Zandvoort and then we were in condition to do pole position and pretty much victory in Madrid without the Virtual Safety Car.
Then very rapidly and interestingly, as we took upgrades as well, the picture changes." Stella stressed that while McLaren's own data did not reveal any glaring anomalies, the team had to accept that competitors might have made more significant gains. He also pointed out that the conditions in Malaysia were unusually harsh, with extreme heat and a rough surface that could have skewed performance metrics.
"There are very specific conditions in Malaysia, so I think we should give ourselves more time," he said, suggesting that the Singapore circuit, with its slower, more technical layout, might suit the car better than the high‑speed, high‑temperature demands of Sepang. The British driver remains cautiously optimistic but realistic. "There are things I can do better and the team as well," Norris added, indicating that both driver input and engineering solutions will be required to claw back the lost time.
He also hinted that the Singapore track, with its tight corners and emphasis on downforce rather than outright straight‑line speed, could provide a more forgiving environment for the car's current limitations. Looking ahead, the F1 calendar will head to Marina Bay for the final Sprint weekend of the season, with action slated to begin on Friday. Fans can watch the proceedings live on Sky Sports F1, and the race will be streamed via NOW, offering a flexible subscription model.
As the teams prepare for the unique challenges of a night race in Singapore's humid climate, all eyes will be on McLaren to see whether they can translate their recent upgrades into tangible performance gains, or if Norris will continue to battle the elusive two‑tenths deficit that has been described as "painful as hell."