Lando Norris battling illness at Singapore GP – but won’t use it as an excuse

Lando Norris has revealed he’s been battling illness throughout the Singapore Grand Prix weekend but has refused to use it as an excuse for his underwhelming qualifying performance.

Norris is set to start Sunday’s race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit from fifth on the grid.

The Briton was out-qualified by McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri, who secured third.

Unexpectedly, McLaren struggled for pace relative to Mercedes and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

Piastri admitted after qualifying that he simply didn’t have the pace in the MCL39 to fight George Russell for pole at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Norris, who won the 2024 Singapore GP from pole position, conceded he wasn’t feeling “optimal” ahead of qualifying.

“No. If there’s anywhere you don’t want to be poorly it’s here but I am better today,” Norris told Sky Sports.

“Yesterday and the day before I was struggling a little bit. It hit me pretty quickly but it also went away relatively quickly.

“I am probably not optimal but no excuses for today.”

Norris explains McLaren woes

McLaren has struggled for pace in the last two rounds at Monza and Baku relative to Red Bull.

Unlike Singapore, the last two races were low-downforce circuits, which traditionally don’t suit McLaren.

This weekend was expected to play into their strengths - high downforce and hot temperatures.

Norris explained that a lack of front tyre temperature remains a key weakness.

“Others are also improving,” Norris explained. “Mercedes are doing a very good job. Red Bull, like we have seen, have been very good the last few weekends. Nothing’s a surprise.

“The only thing is Singapore has always been a bit of a weird one. We know whenever we struggle with the front tyres we struggle a lot as a team. The whole weekend we’ve been struggling with the front tyres.

“Contrary to that, any time everyone on the grid, like everyone in F1, is struggling with the fronts, like they are with the new tarmac bits, Mercedes is always the team that comes out on top, like Vegas last year for instance. I think we understand when you put two and two together why we’ve struggled a little bit, the front not being strong enough and too much understeer.

“You have to make compromises, give up rear grip for that. We understand it; making improvements on all these things is the bigger thing we have to work on. We’re trying to win the Constructors’ this weekend, it just feels disappointing we’re not quick enough. We clearly have work to do.”