F1 Singapore Grand Prix: McLaren's Lando Norris Thanks Carlos Sainz for DRS Assist Against Mercedes

Lando Norris appreciated the assistance of his old teammate and friend, Carlos Sainz, who helped him finish second in Singapore. The McLaren driver also felt bad for Mercedes's George Russell, who crashed into the wall while trying to catch Lando Norris on the penultimate lap. Norris began in fourth place and had fallen behind Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who surged ahead after going off the track at Turn 1, but when his fellow Briton dutifully handed him the spot back, he set his eyes on the podium. After Esteban Ocon of Alpine encountered an engine issue at the Marina Bay track, Mercedes took the tactical choice to concentrate on winning the Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton was able to attack his teammate despite Norris's solid defence against Russell. On the last lap, Russell hit the wall and eliminated himself from the race, promoting Hamilton to third position, and allowing Norris to finish second by a mere 0.8 seconds behind Sainz. 

F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Norris’ Third Podium Finish in 2023

Russell, who was hoping to win or at least finish on the podium, was devastated when, on the penultimate lap, he crashed after clipping the wall on the approach to Turn 10. Even Norris said he had sympathy for Russell, having made the same error but got away with minimum damage.

Also Read: F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Carlos Sainz of Ferrari Wins Marina Bay Race, Ends Red Bull's Winning Streak

Speaking in a post-race interview, Norris said, "It was a hard race but Carlos was very generous trying to help me get DRS, help my race that helped his. It was tough, we knew it was going to be tough as soon as the Mercedes boxed. Especially with only a couple of cars for them to overtake, but got the podium, P2, we held them off. We did everything we needed to do and more, so super happy."

"I hit the wall the same lap, the last lap, the same place. I did the same, so I think he copied me and just did it even worse! No, I feel for him, he fought a tough race. He was probably one of the quickest out there… he was the quickest today. So, it helped me a bit the last couple of corners, I could chill just a little bit more. But good points for the whole team with Oscar Piastri there. But everyone, Carlos, Charles, Lewis, and George, we all pushed each other the whole way. It was stressful but it paid off," he added.

F1: McLaren Uprise in 2023

The Singapore Grand Prix showed a significant modification to the McLaren MCL60 with the goal of enhancing the vehicle's performance while turning at low speeds.  The Singapore updates include new fences, floor edge, and diffuser in addition to a revised wing endplate up front and a new inlet on the sideboard, as well as new mirror fitting and halo equipment.

Also Read: F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Williams Unveils Exotic Gulf Livery Ahead of Marina Bay Street Circuit Race

Although McLaren has not been rewarded with especially great point totals for its performance in the previous two Grand Prix, the team has strengthened its hold on fifth place in the constructors' championship thanks to an improvement made in Austria. The team's six-race point-scoring run, highlighted by podium finishes in Britain and Hungary, has propelled them over Alpine, from whom they had been behind significantly at one time.

Some have dubbed the vehicle an MCL60B due to the radical impact of that Austria package and the substantial design shift it represented, as well as the additional improvements made in Singapore.