Lando Norris continued to trim the gap on Formula One points leader and reigning champion Max Verstappen with a win in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Fifty-two points now separate Norris from Verstappen. The Dutch star’s second-place finish helped to limit the damage in terms of losing ground on his top challenger.
Oscar Piastri claimed the other podium spot in third.
At least when it came to the top of the race leaderboard, there was little drama to be had at Marina Bay Street Circuit. Norris started from the pole and held firm over the first few laps. It didn’t take long for him to show he had the fastest car on the track.
When the dust cleared at the finish line, Norris was more than 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen. It was a role reversal from 2023 when Verstappen was the one winning at a canter.
It was a different story for Norris’ compatriot Lewis Hamilton.
The seven-time F1 champion was frozen out of the podium for the third straight race, winding up in sixth. That was two spots behind Mercedes teammate George Russell, a point some fans couldn’t ignore with Hamilton himself calling out the team’s strategy midway through.
Six races remain in Hamilton’s farewell campaign with Mercedes and Norris’ quest to overtake Verstappen. In both cases, it’s looking increasingly like they’re wind up disappointed in the end.
For Norris, the challenge is not just finishing ahead of Verstappen but creating enough distance to where he starts to meaningfully eat into their difference in the driver standings. As much as Verstappen is failing to hit the heights he did last year, he’s remaining relatively consistent from race to race, which is stymying Norris’ comeback bid.
Verstappen and the Red Bull team have nearly a month off before the United States Grand Prix on Oct. 20 to figure out how to return to the top of the podium.
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