SINGAPORE (AP) — Lando Norris says he's “hopeful” McLaren has identified and fixed a car problem which deprived him of straight-line speed, with his Formula 1 title defense all but mathematically over ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Norris is coming off a ninth-place finish at last week's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia and was off the pace the week before in Azerbaijan before a collision ended his race.
He suggested on Thursday the issue was worth two or three grid places in qualifying for both races. McLaren has worked to resolve the issue, reportedly to do with the fuel system.
“They put a lot of work into trying to figure out things and I'm hopeful that it’ll be better this weekend, but honestly, I have to get out on track and see first,” Norris said.
He added the effect won't be as noticeable this week on a tight Singapore street circuit “where straights are not the highest priority.”
The drop-off in pace has been a blow for Norris, who had been on the up after winning in Hungary and the Netherlands, and he aired his frustration at being held back by a factor outside of his control.
“It’s always tough when you come out of corners better and end up going slower, so it’s been a frustrating two weekends trying to figure out what the issue’s been and why there’s just been a constant lack of straight-line speed and performance," he said.
Norris heads into Singapore fifth in the standings, 132 points behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. With a grand prix and the year's last sprint race this weekend and a maximum 150 points available after that, Norris' title defense could officially end on Sunday if he drops even further behind the Italian.
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