Lando Norris takes issue with ‘silly question’ on F1 2024 title strategy after Singapore dominance
McLaren driver Lando Norris.
Lando Norris was not too impressed with a title-related question from FIA press conference host Tom Clarkson following his dominant Singapore GP victory.
After sealing a sixth F1 career pole position, Norris silenced talk around his poor race starts by securing the lead and never looking back from there, going on to win the race by just under 21 seconds from title rival Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris takes issue with title-related ‘silly question’
Norris further trimmed Verstappen’s Drivers’ Championship lead to 52 points with six rounds of the season to go, so was asked to reveal his “strategy” for this critical run to the F1 2024 chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.
“Silly question, really, isn’t it?” Norris came back with.
“Try and do the same again.
“But Max is pushing hard. I’m sure Red Bull are pushing hard. So, I mean, it’s obvious it’s… I’m doing my best every weekend. I’m trying to get the most points I can every weekend. Includes fastest lap and things like that. But if Max keeps finishing second and Red Bull keep doing like they did this weekend, then nothing more I can do.
“So just focus on myself and focus on us as a team. That’s it.”
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That was Norris’ third win of the season, his last coming back at the Dutch Grand Prix, which also arrived in impression fashion with a final 23-second margin over Verstappen.
So, he was asked whether this dominance can be repeated in the races to come, or if such a commanding display was specific to Singapore’s Marina Bay Circuit?
“We’ve not changed anything on the car from here to last weekend or the weekend before,” said Norris. “We’ve even had to make tweaks to some of our wings and things that people have complained about.
“But we’ve still had a great weekend and probably one of our most dominant weekends here.
“I don’t think that’s made the difference, honestly. It was just that the car’s been mega for a good amount of time.
“I’ve not been able to come out on top for quite a few of them when I felt like I had the pace and I had the ability to do. So some of that is down to being my own fault and not executing things well enough. So I’ve paid the price for not doing a good enough job at times. But when I lead after Turn 1 and things are a bit more straightforward then we can have a day like today.”
Norris was denied the perfect 26-point haul as VCARB’s Daniel Ricciardo snatched the fastest lap in what could prove to be his final Formula 1 race.
