Lando Norris Reflects on Missed Podium Chance in Singapore

Lando Norris left the Singapore Grand Prix with a sense of 'what if,' having finished fourth but feeling he might have done more. The McLaren driver found himself in a tussle with Lewis Hamilton for the final podium spot, a battle that ultimately saw both drivers veer off track and Kimi Antonelli seize the opportunity to pass Norris.

Hamilton's strategy decision in Singapore didn't go as planned. Starting on medium tires, he was the first among the top three to switch to softs, aiming for a two-stop strategy. However, missing the pit entry during a virtual safety car forced him into a one-stop approach, leaving him vulnerable to Norris and Antonelli.

As the trio approached Turn 1, Norris attempted an overtake, only to end up running wide alongside Hamilton. This allowed Antonelli to slip past. The FIA stewards reviewed the incident, noting that both Norris and Hamilton left the track, thus dismissing any further action as Antonelli's subsequent pass on Hamilton validated the outcome.

In the end, Norris managed to overtake Hamilton, whose tires had degraded significantly, and even Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren got by. Antonelli, however, was already clear and claimed the final podium position.

Reflecting on the race, Norris said, "I think the result was as good as we could achieve today. I think I could have achieved it in a better way and at least put up a good fight with Kimi. Both me and Lewis obviously wanted to see who would brake later and so on. He didn’t even brake into Turn 1, so it kind of meant I was also going off. I could have, I think, put up a better fight with Kimi in that case, and could have fought for a podium, so I could have done a better job in trying to achieve the result we had today. But I think he would have passed me no matter what, and fourth was the best we could do today. So I’m happy I achieved that, and we got some good points."

Norris also faced a late-race scare with potential brake problems, though he couldn't provide details. "I think there were quite a few problems with the car, but I don’t know what it was," he admitted.

With the first triple-header of the 2026 season now complete, the next race is set to kick off in Austin at the United States Grand Prix.