Lando Norris was delighted after winning the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to close the gap on Max Verstappen at the top of the Formula One standings.
The McLaren star was fastest in qualifying earlier in the weekend and he led for the entirety of the race on this occasion.
Norris finished 21 seconds ahead of Verstappen on Sunday, with the McLaren star picking up 25 points in the process.
That means he is 52 points behind his Red Bull rival with six races – as well as two Sprints – to go until the end of the campaign.
Lando Norris was delighted after winning the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to close the gap on Max Verstappen at the top of the Formula One standings.
REUTERS
Speaking on the team radio after his win, Norris thanked McLaren staff for their hard work.
But he also called on them to ‘keep pushing’ as he looks to defy the odds to win the first Formula One crown of his career.
“Lovely jubbly. Amazing car all weekend thank you everyone,” he said.
“One of many more, let’s keep pushing.”
Norris was pleased with his performance but had two near-misses when he came precariously close to crashing into the barriers around the track.
Discussing the race with Sky Sports, he said: “It was an amazing race.
“A few too many close calls – I had a couple of little moments in the middle – but it was well controlled, I think, otherwise.
“The car was mega. I could push, we were flying the whole race, and at the end could just chill.
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“So it was a nice race, still tough, I’m a bit out of breath, but a fun one.”
While Norris won the race, Verstappen was pleased to finish second.
Singapore marked the Dutchman’s best performance in recent times, having struggled for consistency since his last race win in Spain back in June.
And Verstappen expressed his satisfaction with the day’s efforts by saying: “I was by myself.
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Lando Norris has closed the gap on Max Verstappen at the top of the F1 standings following his triumph at the Singapore Grand Prix
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“I tried to do the best I could and manage my own pace to the end.
“The first stint was a bit difficult for us, quite a bit of tyre degradation.
“The second stint was a bit better, I was a bit more comfortable.
“On a weekend we knew we were going to struggle, P2 is a good achievement.”
Lando Norris celebrates after beating Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to win the Singapore Grand Prix
REUTERS
Oscar Piastri, who finished third, added: “It was a good race and a good recovery from qualifying.
“Not my greatest afternoon yesterday so to get back to the podium is a great result.
“We had a really quick car underneath us and a good strategy to get past the Mercedes.
“So a big thank you to the team, the car was clearly exceptional this weekend.”