Norris Dominates Singapore GP, Narrowly Misses Historic 'Grand Slam'

Lando Norris delivered a commanding performance at the Singapore Grand Prix, leading every lap of the race for the first time in his career. The young British driver secured pole position the day before, ending Ferrari's run of three consecutive poles on the Marina Bay circuit. Norris' victory marked his sixth career pole and third grand prix win, matching the tallies of 1961 world champion Phil Hill.

Norris' Missed Opportunity for a Rare 'Grand Slam'

A Dominant Display Marred by a Late Fastest Lap

Norris held the fastest lap of the race until the penultimate tour, when Daniel Ricciardo managed to snatch it away. Ricciardo's late lap cost Norris a potentially vital championship point, but it also denied him the chance to join the elite group of drivers who have achieved a 'grand slam' during their careers. Fewer drivers have accomplished this feat than have won world championships, and Norris would have been only the 27th driver in F1 history to do so.

Ricciardo's Farewell Fastest Lap?

Ricciardo's fastest lap was the first for Red Bull's second team in their latest identity, RB. They had scored two during their 83 races as AlphaTauri, but only one during the 268 races they contested as Toro Rosso. Ricciardo now has 17 fastest laps, matching the tally of Rubens Barrichello.There is widespread speculation that Ricciardo will not return to the cockpit of the RB after this weekend. If so, he will become the fifth driver in F1 history to end his career with a fastest lap. Most drivers who ended their careers with a fastest lap didn't know it was their last race at the time, with the exception of Ricciardo's fellow Australian, Mark Webber, in the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Norris' Triumph and Verstappen's Elusive Singapore Success

Norris' success means that Max Verstappen still hasn't taken a pole position or victory at this track, despite having won at every other venue on the calendar. Red Bull haven't had a pole position in Singapore for more than a decade.This was McLaren's second win in the Singapore Grand Prix, the only other coming courtesy of Lewis Hamilton 15 years ago. They have now won four of the last six races, their best rate since they did the same between the 2008 Monaco and Hungarian grands prix.

A Faster Singapore Grand Prix

The 15th Singapore Grand Prix was the first to run without a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car. Thanks to that, and the removal of four corners from the track layout last year, this was also the fastest Singapore Grand Prix of all time. Norris won at an average speed of 182.090kph, which is quicker than four other races this year – the Monaco, Japanese, Canadian and Chinese grands prix – though all of these were disrupted by Safety Cars or red flags.This was also the third Singapore Grand Prix in a row where the same driver led every lap of the race. Carlos Sainz Jnr did so last year, and Sergio Perez in 2022.

Albon's Milestone Marred by Disappointment

Finally, Alexander Albon made his 100th appearance in a grand prix weekend. He has started 99 races, having participated in practice at Monza two years ago then stepped down due to illness. However, there was nothing to celebrate for him this weekend, as he was the only driver not classified at the finish.