Lando Norris continues to reduce Max Verstappen’s points lead.

Norris was able to cut a further seven points off Verstappen’s lead with a convincing win in the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday. Leading from pole, Norris held on to the lead as he won by almost 30 seconds. After controlling his pace in the opening laps, Norris pulled away from Verstappen and the rest of the field, making the race a boring experience.

Verstappen finished second in the caution-free race ahead of Norris’ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Verstappen started the race with a 59-point lead over Norris and that lead now stands at 52 points with six races to go.

Seven points per race in six races is not enough for Norris to catch Verstappen, even when including the remaining sprint races of the season. He needs some bad luck with the reigning three-time world champion and a flawless run to the finish. But the current state of the points race is also further proof that Verstappen will not win the title like he did in 2022 and 2023.

Red Bull is now also a clear outsider in the constructors’ title. McLaren built up a 20-point lead in Azerbaijan a week ago and extended it in Singapore. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez finished tenth and McLaren was able to extend its lead by 21 points thanks to Perez’s difficulties.

After Piastri, Mercedes driver George Russell beat Charles Leclerc to fourth place, with Lewis Hamilton finishing a long way behind in sixth place. The Mercedes duo started on the second row behind Norris and Verstappen, while Hamilton started from third place on soft tyres. However, this decision did not turn out well. Hamilton was unable to make up any places on the first lap and had to pit much earlier than the other leaders around him, who had started on medium-hard tyres.

This put Hamilton behind in the second half of the race as he had older tyres than everyone else around him.

Norris could have cut Verstappen’s lead by eight points, but Daniel Ricciardo, on a set of soft tyres, set the fastest lap of the race before the chequered flag. Ricciardo was far from the points, but his VCARB team probably pitted him to take the fastest lap – and a point – from Norris and help Verstappen.

The fastest lap could also mark Ricciardo’s farewell to Formula 1. It’s an open secret that Red Bull’s reserve driver Liam Lawson could take his place for the rest of the season, and the topic was openly discussed several times during Sky Sports’ broadcast. Red Bull and its junior team VCARB have almost a month to make the decision, as the next race of the season at the Circuit of the Americas is not until October 20.

Race results

1. Lando Norris, McLaren

2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull

3. Oscar Piastri, McLaren

4. George Russell, Mercedes

5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

6. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

7. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

8. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

9. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

10. Sergio Perez, Red Bull

11. Franco Colapinto, Williams

12. Yuki Tsunoda, VCARB

13. Esteban Ocon, Alpine

14. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

15. Zhou Guanyu, Clean

16. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber

17. Pierre Gasly, Alpine

18. Daniel Ricciardo, VCARB

Not classified: Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Alex Albon (Williams)