McLaren drivers will start the Singapore Grand Prix from different sides of the grid: Lando Norris from fourth place, Oscar Piastri from seventeenth. But the Australian was simply unlucky and had to abandon the attempt due to Lance Stroll’s accident.
Lando Norris (4th): “Of course I wanted to go higher, but I don’t know if that option was there. One lap better is always possible, but I did my best in every corner, so I’m happy with my work. Overall this was my best lap.
In theory it was probably possible to drive it a few tenths faster, but even to increase it by a tenth you have to take a lot more risks. So I am satisfied: the team has done a good job, we have clearly taken a few steps forward and it is paying off.
It’s difficult to overtake here, but we’re starting from a good position, so let’s hope we can earn a lot of points through this. To be able to count on the podium tomorrow, it is very important to drive well on the first lap and make good pit stops, but there is a good chance that a safety car will appear here.
Overall, we have to solve a problem with many unknowns, including what will happen to the degradation of rubber. This will become clear during the race, but the car has good pace. We may not be fast enough to fight Ferrari, but Mercedes is very fast, so it will be important to stay ahead of Lewis Hamilton.”
Oscar Piastri (17th): “I was already in the last corner when the session was stopped by red flags. Although it wasn’t my best lap, the result should have allowed me to move on to the next session.
Plus, from the very beginning of the lap, the traffic on the track was so heavy, as if we were leaving a parking lot – to be honest, this made everyone nervous. When I arrived at Turn 17, there were four cars in front of me, completely blocking the track – quite a dangerous situation.
I’m glad that Lance Stroll is doing well, because the accident was very serious, although it is of course a shame that it happened in front of me and not behind me. As a result, we start from such a distant position, and tomorrow it will not be easy for us, but we will do our best.
It will be very difficult to earn points, I can say that during practice I was behind Logan Sargent for several laps, but I could not overtake him because the tires overheated enormously, although our car is faster than Williams.
Overall, I don’t overestimate our chances, although that doesn’t mean we won’t try.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
