SINGAPORE: Formula One title contender Lando Norris led from pole to chequered flag to win the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, narrowing the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who was second.
It was the McLaren driver’s third career GP win and his first from pole at his sixth attempt.
Teammate Oscar Piastri was third to extend their lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.
It was a remarkably incident-free run around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the first in its 15-race history not to see a safety car deployed.
At the end of the 62 uninterrupted laps, Norris had reduced Verstappen’s title lead to 52 points with six races and three sprints to go.
Piastri’s third place, coupled with Sergio Perez only managing 10th in the second Red Bull, meant McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ championship was increased to 41 points.
Norris got away brilliantly from pole and was clear of Verstappen into the first bend as Lewis Hamilton, on softer tires, tried to put pressure on the Dutchman.
But the three-time world champion repelled the Englishman and all the cars completed the opening lap safely.
Norris soon opened up a gap of more than a second over Verstappen, importantly keeping the Englishman out of DRS range of his title rival.
Hamilton from third was the only front-runner to start on soft tires, but he paid a penalty for it after he had to pit early on lap 18.
The aim was clearly to go all the way to the end but after just five laps on the new rubber he complained on team radio: “I’m already struggling with this tyre.”
Norris was in a league of his own up front as he stretched his lead over Verstappen to 20 seconds by lap 26.
Despite a few late brushes with the unforgiving Singapore street circuit walls, the Englishman secured a dominant victory.
“It was an amazing race,” said Norris.
“A few too many close calls, I had a couple of close moments in the middle but it was well managed I think.
“I could push, we were flying the whole race. Still tough, I’m a bit out of breath, but a good one.”
Piastri started from fifth but a superior strategy enabled him to overhaul Hamilton and the second Mercedes of George Russell in the late stages.
“It was a good race, a good recovery from qualifying — it wasn’t my best afternoon yesterday,” said Piastri.
“Big thank you to the team as clearly the car was exceptional this weekend, and some great points.”
Verstappen’s only chance looked like a safety car that never came.
“My race was just by myself, do the best I could, manage my own race,” said the three-time world champion.
“On a weekend we knew we were going to struggle, P2 is a good achievement. But now we need to improve, and that’s what we’ll do.”
Hamilton on much older tires than the field was a sitting duck toward the end lost another place on lap 50 to the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc who had begun from ninth on the grid.
Leclerc finished ahead of Hamilton, with the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in seventh.
Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg and Perez rounded out the top 10.
McLaren’s Lando Norris wins Singapore Grand Prix to narrow F1 title race
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McLaren’s Lando Norris wins Singapore Grand Prix to narrow F1 title race
- Norris got away brilliantly from pole and was clear of Verstappen into the first bend
Desert Vipers hold nerve to edge Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in ILT20 thriller
- Key contributions from Shimron Hetmyer and Khuzaima Tanveer prove decisive as the Vipers weather tense finish to overhaul target of 171
- Knight Riders start well, reaching 87 in 10 overs, but momentum shifts in second half of their inning as the Vipers’ spinners struck back
SHARJAH: Desert Vipers made it two wins out of two in the DP World International League T20, as they held their nerve to secure a dramatic two-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Shimron Hetmyer’s counterattacking 48 off 25 balls, and a late-order cameo from Khuzaima Tanveer, who hit 31 off just 12 deliveries, proved decisive as the Vipers weathered a tense finish to overhaul a target of 171.
Sent in to bat, the Knight Riders made a confident start through Phil Salt and Alex Hales, with the latter anchoring the inning to top-score with 53 off 37 balls.
Despite reaching 87 in 10 overs, however, the momentum shifted in the second half of the inning as the Vipers’ spinners began to strike regularly. Qais Ahmad and Noor Ahmad led the middle-overs fightback, dismissing Hales and triggering a collapse as the Knight Riders lost five wickets.
Andre Russell’s unbeaten 36, and useful contributions from Alishan Sharafu and Unmukt Chand, at least helped Abu Dhabi reach a competitive total, but they were unable to fully capitalize on the side’s strong opening.
The Vipers began explosively in reply, smashing a tournament-record 19 runs from the first over. However, early wickets then left them wobbling on 44/3. Sam Curran and Dan Lawrence rebuilt the attack before the latter combined with Hetmyer for a crucial 68-run stand that swung the contest back in the their favor.
Late strikes from Ajay Kumar and Russell, the latter dismissing Hetmyer for his 500th T20 wicket, set up a tense finish, but Tanveer delivered under pressure. Needing eight runs off the final over, he sealed victory with a six and a boundary.
“It was, in many ways, a fortunate escape but an outstanding result for us,” said Curran, the Vipers’ stand-in captain.
“ADKR possess a very powerful batting lineup, and I believe our bowlers performed exceptionally well throughout the innings. The dismissals of Hetmyer and Dan introduced an unexpected twist but the team showed commendable composure in the crucial moments.”
Knight Riders’ stand-in skipper Sunil Narine felt his side had been lacking with the bat: “We were 15-20 runs short. We began well in the powerplay and that phase was crucial for us.
“The conditions eventually worked in their favor and the dew made it challenging for our spinners. But at the end of the day that’s part of the game.”
The result leaves the Vipers well placed at this early stage of the tournament, while the Knight Riders were left to reflect on missed opportunities after such a strong start.
