“Hoping to have a much bigger gap”: Lando Norris left wanting more despite outpacing Charles Leclerc in Singapore practice 

Lando Norris believes McLaren is in a strong position after Friday's free practice sessions ahead of the Singapore GP. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, the Briton expressed confidence, stating he felt competitive from the first session of the day.

Norris posted the second-fastest lap in the first session with a time of 1:31.839 and followed it up with the fastest lap in the second session, clocking 1:31.763. However, in the first session, Charles Leclerc was marginally quicker by 0.074 seconds, while in the second session, he was 0.058 seconds slower than Norris. Given that the second session is more representative due to track conditions and weather, it points to a close fight between Ferrari and McLaren for qualifying.

Race simulation data from the free practice sessions suggests McLaren and Ferrari are closely matched. Reflecting on his performance, Norris remarked that McLaren's pace was strong from the outset, unlike other race weekends where it builds up to race day. While he hoped for a larger gap between McLaren and Ferrari, the reality indicates a very close battle.

Speaking after both practice sessions on Friday, Lando Norris said:

“Yeah, pace is good. I’m feeling good, it was also a nice lap. I think we’re doing what we expect, I guess, to be up at the front and to be there with Ferrari. But it was a very nice lap and Charles is only [0.058s] behind. I was hoping to have a much bigger gap than what I had, honestly, which means they’re quick, it means Ferrari are very, very fast. But, yeah, things are going well so far.”

Asked if he felt confident from the first flying lap on soft tires in FP1 itself, Lando Norris replied:

“Yeah, actually that was my first comment to the whole team – it just felt good straight away. To be honest, I think we’re always pretty good at that – I think one of our strengths is just arriving and performing well, but then we tend not to progress as much as some of the other teams. We’ll see, it’s going to be close but I think we’re in a decent position. I feel like there’s not a lot we can change, honestly, but just trying to perfect a little bit, try and iron out a couple of little things and push it in a slightly quicker direction. It’s all we can do.”

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Lando Norris reckons Charles Leclerc cannot be discounted for pole position in Singapore

Lando Norris believes Charles Leclerc's form and confidence at street circuits like Baku and Monaco make him a strong competitor. He suggested that if the Monegasque driver wasn’t satisfied with his lap times, it would be cause for concern. Reflecting on his own performance, Norris felt that it had been a productive Friday and a solid start to the weekend in Singapore.

Outlining his expectations after the performance in the free practice session, Lando Norris said:

“Charles is very good at street circuits – we’ve seen in Baku, we’ve seen in Monaco what he’s capable of doing. I’m sure he’s probably quite happy with his lap. If he wasn’t happy with his lap, I’m quite worried for tomorrow! It was a nice lap from me, not a lot more in it, honestly, so I felt like I got a lot out of Friday. But normally I prefer not being so good and then always having a bit extra going into Saturday! A good start to the weekend, I think we’re in a good place, and if we can keep it up then I’ll be happy.”

Lando Norris is 59 points behind Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship. Still, with the Dutchman struggling at the Singapore street circuit, the night race presents a key opportunity to close the gap.

McLaren currently leads the constructors' championship but faces pressure from both Red Bull and Ferrari. It will be crucial for it to fend off Ferrari and maximize its result to extend the lead over Red Bull. Ferrari, meanwhile, remains a strong contender for the constructors' title, sitting just 51 points behind McLaren and only 21 points behind Red Bull, making this race a potential turning point in its battle.