Singapore GP 2024
SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
Race Notes - Norris wins flag-to-flag in Singapore
By Mark Karp
Lando Norris won the Singapore Grand Prix, flag-to-flag from pole position in his McLaren-Mercedes.
Max Verstappen in the Red Bull-Honda finished in second place, 20.945 seconds behind.
Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren finished third, 41.823 seconds behind the winner.
McLaren extends their lead in the Constructors Championship to 41 points, and lowers Verstappen’s lead over Norris in the Drivers Championship to 52 points.
The win is Norris’ third win, and McLaren’s fifth win of the season.
George Russell (1m01.040) in the Mercedes GP finished fourth, followed by Charles Leclerc (1m02.430s) in the Ferrari was fifth, Lewis Hamilton (1m25.248s) in the second Mercedes was sixth, Carlos Sainz (1m36.039s) in the second Ferrari was seventh, Fernando Alonso (1 lap) in the Aston Martin-Mercedes was eighth, Nico Hulkenberg in the Haas-Ferrari was ninth, and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull took the final point in tenth place.
Before the the start of the night time race at Singapore, where the temperature is always hot for this long race that often bumps up on the two-hour time limit, and has always seen a safety car period - everything is up for grabs. Optimally a one stop strategy is your goal, and if you push too hard and start sliding and overheat the rear tyres you will be forced to pit once again and compromise your race.
Norris is on pole with Verstappen alongside on the front row, the two Mercedes of Hamilton and Russell are on row 2, last week’s winner Piastri and Hulkenberg on row 3, Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda on row 4, and the Ferrari’s of Leclerc and Sainz rounding out the top ten. The Williams of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto are 11th and 12th, and Perez 13th.
All the top ten on the grid are on mediums tyres, except Hamilton on soft tyres.
At the appointed time the cars came to the grid, the lights went out and the race began with Norris getting a good start, with Verstappen and Hamilton following.
At the end of lap 1 Norris leads Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Alonso Leclerc and Colapinto and Perez in tenth - Tsunoda 11th, Sainz 12th, Albon back in 15th,
On lap 5 the leaders starting to stretch out Verstappen 1.8s behind Norris, Hamilton 2.3s behind Verstappen.
On lap 4 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m37.906s.
On lap 6 Norris sets fast lap at 1m37.843s, and then again the next lap at 1m37.621s, and again at 1m37.082s, and leads by 3.1 seconds.
On lap 9 Norris sets another fast lap at 1m36.715s.
At lap 10 Norris leads Verstappen by 4.5 seconds, followed by Hamilton (9.2s), Russell (11.4s), Piastri (13.7s), Hulkenberg (16.5s), Alonso (17.7s), Leclerc (18.4s), Colapinto (20.7s), and Perez (22.3s) in tenth.
On lap 11 Daniel Ricciardo pits for medium tyres and rejoins last.
Norris sets fast lap at 1m36.495s.
On lap 12 Albon pits for hard tyres and rejoins in front of Ricciardo.
On lap 14 Sainz pits from 12th for hard tyres and rejoins 18th.
On lap 16 Albon is running slow and dropping back, pits and retires.
On lap 18 Hamilton pits from third for hard tyres and rejoins 13th.
At lap 20 Norris leads Verstappen by 14.4 seconds, followed by Russell (25.6s), Piastri (27.3s), Hulkenberg (36.1s), Alonso (37.1s), Leclerc (37.6s), Colapinto (40.5s), Perez (43.8s), and Tsunoda (48.7s) in tenth - Hamilton 12th, Sainz 15th.
On lap 22 Hamilton passes Estebon Ocon for 11th.
On lap 26 Hamilton tries to pass Tsunoda for tenth and overshoots. He regroups and chases him again.
Alonso pits for hard tyres and rejoins 15th.
Hamilton passes Tsunoda.
On lap 28 Lance Stroll pits for medium tyres and rejoins 19th.
Russell pits from third for hard tyres and rejoins eighth ahead of Hamilton.
On lap 29 Leclerc passes Hulkenberg for fourth.
Perez pits for hard tyres and rejoins 14th.
Norris reports of some damage, and appears to have brushed a barrier.
Verstappen pits from second for hard tyres.
Hulkenberg, Colapinto and Ocon pit.
On lap 31 Norris pits from the lead for hard tyres and rejoins still in the lead.
At lap 31, at the halfway point, Norris leads Piastri (yet to pit) by 3.2 seconds, followed by Verstappen (21.2s), Leclerc (24.5s), Russell (27.2s), Hamilton (34.0s), Tsunoda (42.9s), Sainz (45.3s), Alonso (49.7s), and Hulkenberg (57.5s) in tenth.
Russell is closing on Leclerc, who has not stopped yet.
On lap 36 Russell tries to pass Leclerc, but couldn’t make it stick.
Norris sets fast lap at 1m36.216s.
On lap 37 Leclerc pits from fourth for hard tyres and rejoins eighth.
Perez and Colapinto pass Ocon for tenth and 11th.
On lap 39 Piastri pits from second for his first stop for hard tyres and rejoins fifth behind Hamilton.
At lap 40 Norris leads Verstappen by 22.8 seconds, followed by Russell (38.1s). Piastri (42.3s), Hamilton (45.3s), Sainz (59.6s), Leclerc (1m02.5s), Alonso (1m04.6s), Hulkenberg (1m08.4s)m, and Perez (1m10.6s) in tenth.
On lap 41 Leclerc sets fast lap at 1m36.166s.
On lap 43 Sainz with older tyres swaps with Leclerc, Leclerc is in sixth place. Ferrari tells Leclerc that he should be able to catch Hamilton for fifth by the end.
Piastri sets fast lap at 1m35.888s.
Leclerc goes faster at 1m35.849s, and again the next lap at 1m35.639s.
On lap 45 Piastri passes Russell for third place.
A replay shows Norris brushing the wall once again.
On lap 46 Leclerc sets fast lap at 1m35.371s.
On lap 47 Norris sets fast lap at 1m34.925s.
On lap 50 Kevin Magnusen has a puncture.
Leclerc passes Hamilton for fifth.
At lap 51 Norris leads Verstappen by 27.0 seconds, followed by Piastri (43.3s), Russell (52.1s), Leclerc (1m01.2s), Hamilton (1m05.4s), Sainz (1n20.7s), Alonso (1m25.3s), Hulkenberg (1m06.3s) and Perez (1m27.5s) in tenth place.
Magnussen pits for soft tyres and comes out in 19th.
Russell reports that he kissed the wall with his right-rear tyre.
Leclerc is closing on Russell in fourth.
On lap Magnussen sets fast lap at 1m34.754s.
Perez is closing on Hulkenberg in ninth.
On lap 60 Leclerc is on the tail of Russell.
At lap 60 Norris leads Verstappen by 23.9 seconds, followed by Piastri (41.6s), Russell (57.8s), Leclerc (58.5s), Hamilton (1m19.8s), Sainz (1m31.5s), Alonso (1m33.2s), Hulkenberg (1 lap), and Perez in tenth.
Magnussen pits and retires.
With one lap to go Leclerc tells the team that Russell has good traction out of the turns.
At the checkered flag Norris wins ahead of Verstappen and Piastri.
On the final lap Ricciardo takes fast lap at 1m33.386s - helping keep the point away from Red Bull’s championship rival McLaren.