Red Bull games with timely reminder to Lando Norris that could shake his ‘nerves’
Lando Norris speaking with Max Verstappen
Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen could be lining up on pole position for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix were it not for his initial lap time being deleted for double yellows.
After a wretched Friday in which Marko lamented that Verstappen was on “Colapinto” pace, the reigning World Champion made changes to the cars overnight by reportedly stiffening the set-up.
Red Bull highlight Lando Norris’ ‘nervous strain’
That saw Verstappen come to the fore in qualifying.
He came out firing in Q3’s pole position shoot-out and went quickest with a 1:29.791 only for his lap time to be deleted with Race Control citing a “double yellow at Turn 18” for Carlos Sainz’s crash.
Verstappen, however, was adamant he had lifted and told his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase as much.
But his time was still erased in an automatic deletion for double-waved yellows in the sector.
Following the red flag stoppage as the marshals cleared Sainz’s stricken Ferrari and repaired the barrier, the drivers were basically in a one-lap shoot-out for pole position with Lando Norris taking that with a 1:29.525. Verstappen as second, two-tenths down.
Marko believes had his initial time stood, he would’ve taken pole position and explained why.
The important numbers ahead of the Singapore GP
?F1 starting grid: What is the grid order for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix?
?The updated Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
“We’re a bit unhappy because Max’s first time was cancelled, even though he lifted,” he told the German media. “So, he dropped one and a half tenths.
“I think that would have been enough for pole position and, above all, he could have taken more risks in the second lap.
“But after yesterday’s [Friday’s] result, we couldn’t even have dreamed of it.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix, Marko says Verstappen will pounce on Norris’ poor starts with the McLaren driver yet to lead at the end of Lap 1 in any of the five races he’s started from pole position.
“The distance to the first corner is relatively short,” he said. “But so far the starts have not been overwhelming and Max will certainly try to capitalise on that.
“And when someone knows that I haven’t been able to convert a single one of the starts where I’ve been on pole position, I think that’s a nervous strain.”
Read next: Singapore GP: Max Verstappen back in business as data reveals key setup change
