And that’s five for Norris

Lando Norris will start the 15^th edition of the Singapore Grand Prix from pole position. It’s the McLaren driver’s sixth pole, the fifth this season. His time of 1’29”525 is over 1”4 faster than the 2023 pole time of 1’30”984 set by Carlos Sainz. It’s the British team’s 161^st pole, the last six all coming courtesy of Norris.

Max Verstappen, lapped in 1’29”728 and will line up alongside Norris, having yet again missed out on pole at the Marina Bay circuit. The second row is an all-Mercedes affair, with Lewis Hamilton (1’29”841) ahead of team-mate George Russell by just 26 thousandths of a second. 

THE DAY ON TRACK 

The third free practice session was mainly given over to preparing for qualifying. Three drivers, Colapinto (Williams) and the Sauber duo of Bottas and Zhou, only ran the Soft tyre, thus saving two sets of Mediums for tomorrow’s race. The other 17 drivers used one set of Medium and one of Soft, with the Aston Martin duo carrying out their usual scrubbing in of Medium and Hard sets which they will keep as per the regulations for the race.

Obviously, the C5 was the only tyre used in qualifying. In Q1, some drivers managed to improve even on a second timed lap having first done a cooldown lap for the tyres, but actually, right from the latter part of the first phase, maximum performance was available right from the first attempt. For the seventh time this season, seven teams got at least one driver into Q3.

The Pirelli Pole Position Award was presented to Lando Norris by The Corrs. The famous Irish band first appeared on the scene in 1990, made up of sisters and brother, Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim Corr. They are known for combining pop rock with more traditional forms of music from Ireland. With seven albums and over 40 million record sales around the world, the Corrs have topped the charts with hits including “Breathless,” “Runaway” and “What Can I Do.” In 1999, they won the Best International Group award at the BRITS.

MARIO ISOLA - PIRELLI DIRECTOR OF MOTORSPORT

“It was a very interesting day, starting with the third free practice session. Despite heavy rain falling for a long time last night, the track did not lose grip and during the 60 minutes, it continued to improve. The situation was different during the qualifying hour, when track evolution was very low, which explains why the quickest time from FP3, set by Norris in 1’29”646, was beaten by him by only 125 thousandths of a second. One has to keep in mind that the air is very humid here in Singapore and there was no track activity between the two Formula 1 sessions, which could also have had an impact on track surface condition.

“Looking ahead to tomorrow’s race, when a pit stop to change tyres costs around 28”, a one-stop is the obligatory choice. On paper, from an initial analysis, a Medium-Hard scenario is the quickest route, with a pit stop window between laps 21 and 27. The Soft has proved to be a viable option for the first stint, with an earlier stop between lap 14 and 19 to take on the Hard. Those starting between the midfield and the front of the grid could also consider starting on the Hard to go for the longest first stint possible, with an ideal pit stop window between laps 37 and 43.

“Having said all that, on this type of track, we have often seen, not least last year here, drivers and teams playing tactically with their race pace, especially on the first stint. Neutralisations and the weather are two other unknown factors that definitely have to be taken into consideration, but there is little one can do about those, apart from being ready to make the most of any opportunity that presents itself.”

Another win for Abbi Pulling in the first race of the weekend. The English Alpine-Rodin driver thus recorded her sixth victory from nine races, dominating proceedings from lights out to chequered flag. Second was Dutch racer Maya Weug (Scuderia Ferrari-Prema) just over two seconds behind, while France’s Doriane Pin (Mercedes-Prema) managed to snatch third by just two tenths, despite a five second penalty for a jumped start. There are just five races remaining, one tomorrow here in Singapore, then two each in Lusail and Abu Dhabi and Pulling seems to have the title within her grasp. Last year’s champion, Marta Garcia, was on hand yesterday to present the Englishwoman with a double Pirelli Pole Position Award, as she set the two fastest times in qualifying. Pulling has never finished off the podium and has 217 points, 82 more than Doriane Pin, with Weug up to third on 102 points, having overtaking the American Chloe Chambers (99 points, Haas-Campos) who finished fifth today.