F1 Singapore GP LIVE: Qualifying result as Lando Norris claims brilliant pole position
F1 reaction from the Marina Bay Street Circuit as Norris claims pole ahead of title rival Max Verstappen
F1 heads to the original ‘night race’ as the Marina Bay Street Circuit hosts the Singapore Grand Prix and round 18 of the 2024 season.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri won an enthralling Azerbaijan Grand Prix last time out, with the McLaren star producing one of the drives of the year to beat Charles Leclerc, with George Russell taking third after a late crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.
Lando Norris, despite starting 15th, finished a spot ahead of Max Verstappen in fourth to cut the Dutchman’s lead in the world championship to 59 points with seven races - and three sprint races - remaining.
It was, however, a difficult weekend for Lewis Hamilton, who finished ninth after starting from the pit-lane. Last year in Singapore, Sainz claimed a famous victory for Ferrari in what was the only 2023 race not won by a Red Bull car.
Follow live updates from the Singapore Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton calls out FIA boss for ‘racial element’ over comments on swearing and rappers
Lewis Hamilton has called out FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem for a comment referring to rappers when discussing the broadcast of swearing in Formula One races – saying they had a “racial element” to them.
Ben Sulayem, head of F1’s governing body, says he has asked Formula 1 to limit the amount of swearing – usually from drivers over team radio – on TV coverage of races. Swear words are currently bleeped out before being broadcast.
The 62-year-old Emirati executive said: “We have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music. We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].”
Full story below:
Lewis Hamilton calls out FIA boss for ‘racial element’ over comments on ‘rappers’
Hamilton was unimpressed with Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s comparison to rap music when discussing drivers swearing over the team radio during F1 races
NEW: Max Verstappen receives bizarre penalty after swearing at F1 press conference
Max Verstappen has been told to “accomplish some work of public interest” in an odd ruling by the stewards after swearing during Thursday’s FIA press conference in Singapore.
The Red Bull driver, who leads this year’s world championship by 59 points to Lando Norris, has not won in seven races and struggled last week in Azerbaijan.
When asked about his car in Baku, Verstappen replied that he knew “the car was f*****” and was warned about his language by the moderator.
After being called to see the stewards on Friday, with a meeting lasting around 15 minutes, the decision reached by the stewards was an “obligation to accomplish some work of public interest.”
Full story below:
Max Verstappen receives bizarre penalty after swearing at F1 press conference
The Red Bull driver was speaking about his car in the last race in Azerbaijan when he used a swear word
Constructors’ Championship heading into Singapore:
1. McLaren - 476 points
2. Red Bull - 456 points
3. Ferrari - 425 points
4. Mercedes - 309 points
5. Aston Martin - 82 points
6. RB - 34 points
7. Haas - 29 points
8. Williams - 16 points
9. Alpine - 13 points
What are the timings for the Singapore Grand Prix?
All times BST
Friday 20 September
- Free practice 2: 2pm
Saturday 21 September
- Free practice 3: 10:30am
- Qualifying: 2pm
Sunday 22 September
- Race: 1pm
F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: NEW - Max Verstappen summoned to see the stewards...
Max Verstappen has been summoned to the race stewards for an alleged breach of the International Sporting Code, relating to “language used during the FIA Thursday driver press conference.”
The Red Bull driver swore during yesterday’s press conference.
Christian Horner reveals when Red Bull’s F1 decline started – and it’s not even this year
Christian Horner says Red Bull have traced their decline all the way back to the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix last June, despite the dozen-plus races Max Verstappen won after that event.
Horner insists it was race seven of 22 last year which saw Red Bull make their first error, but the team didn’t take it seriously “because Max kept winning.”
“We traced the development history back and it turned out that the first mistake we made was with an underbody upgrade in 2023 in Barcelona,” Horner told German outlet Auto Motor und Sport.
Full story below:
Horner reveals when Red Bull’s F1 decline started – and it’s not even this year
Red Bull have not won since Barcelona but Horner says it was last year’s Spanish GP where the issues started
F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff...
“We turned the car upside-down literally, it was in a much nicer, balanced window. I hope we can maintain that speed on both cars.
“The car is functioning well. If we qualify top-four, that would be good.”
On McLaren rear-wing: “We’re so into our own issues that we didn’t have it on the radar, in Baku it might have had an effect.”
F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: FP1 RESULTS IN FULL...
F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Carlos Sainz...
“We need to sort out the brakes. It cannot be that we changed the brake balance so much.”
Fine-tuning for the Ferrari man despite his third-quickest time.
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