Lando Norris has admitted he is unsure whether McLaren will be able to fix a problem with his car that is causing a loss of straight-line speed ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion was in fine form as he claimed three pole positions and two wins in four races spread either side of the summer break, but he has since been off the pace in Azerbaijan and Malaysia.
Norris qualified only fifth in both events, crashed out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and could only manage ninth in a faultless display as Malaysia hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The problem, which saw Norris slower than team-mate Oscar Piastri in certain parts of the Sepang International Circuit, appears to be caused by his power unit, but McLaren is yet to pinpoint the exact problem.
Asked if the team could fix it for next weekend’s Sprint in Singapore, Norris said Sky Sports F1: “I have no idea.
“The team is trying but I’m losing almost two tenths a lap. Two tenths a lap over 55 laps is just painful. It’s making my life very difficult.
“There are other things. In Malaysia I could have done better. I can’t have that. That’s not just an excuse.
“There are things I can do better and so can the team.”
Stella: Rivals may have developed a car with bigger steps
McLaren boss Andrea Stella admitted some of the team’s rivals may have “developed their car by leaps and bounds” after back-to-back eye-catching displays.
The reigning constructors’ champions looked to be back in the winning mix when their upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break helped Norris deliver the team’s first grand prix pole and win of the season.
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Watch the moment Lando Norris wins the Hungarian Grand Prix!
However, despite McLaren adding more improvements to their car, Mercedes’ George Russell claimed a dominant victory in Azerbaijan before Max Verstappen showcased Red Bull’s progress by triumphing in Malaysia.
Stella said: “We see a scenario in Formula 1 that seems to be changing very quickly.
“In Hungary, we got some improvements, and we were able to have a pole position in Hungary and Zandvoort and then we were able to take pole position and more or less win in Madrid without the Virtual Safety Car.
“Then, very quickly and interestingly, as we made the improvements, the picture changes.
“I think we have to take a look at our development. We don’t see any anomalies in our data, but we have to accept that potentially some competitors have developed their car by bigger steps than us.”
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Watch how Lando Norris took pole for the Spanish Grand Prix with this sensational final lap.
The extremely high temperatures and rough track surface in Malaysia made for a potential change in terms of conditions, which has left Stella with some hope that McLaren can return to form in Singapore.
“There are very specific conditions in Malaysia, so I think we should give ourselves more time,” he added.
“I’m sure this is the same kind of review we’ll have next door at Mercedes. It’s a very special situation in Malaysia, so I think we need to understand the behavior of the cars better.
“I think we need to give ourselves a bit more time. I personally am not in a position to say whether Singapore will be more suitable or not, because from the point of view of the track layout, we thought Sepang would be a good circuit for us.
“This is because of the uncertainty caused by the new scenario from a competitive point of view, but also because we may need to understand a little better the improvements we have received ourselves and Singapore will give us a better answer.”
Formula 1 heads straight to Singapore for the final Sprint weekend of the season with on-track action starting this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
