Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were well behind the pace as Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc solidified their positions as the favorites for the Singapore Grand Prix pole position.
During Singapore Grand Prix practice, Lewis Hamilton said Mercedes are “lost,” while Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc left everyone in their wake.
They solidified their position as the clear favorites for pole by finishing the day six tenths of a second or more ahead of everyone else. However, Hamilton and Max Verstappen struggled more throughout the day, as they were both over a second slower than the leaders. The seven-time Formula One champion was also dejected as he acknowledged that driving his Mercedes was “very difficult.”
He stated: “We tried every setup possible, but nothing seemed to work. It was a very difficult day. After giving it your all, you discover that you’re not the right person. In the end, we’re a little disoriented and uncertain about where to find it.”
This year, qualifying has been Hamilton’s worst area. He anticipates more difficulties on Saturday and says, “At this time, we won’t be going into Q3.” George Russell, a teammate, crashed late in the race and ended up with his nose in the wall. Russell was slightly faster than Norris, but still far slower than the leader.
Although the harm was insignificant, Russell’s disposition remained unaffected. “We need to find out why the car isn’t feeling as connected as it did a year ago and in recent races,” he stated. A significant difference exists between the McLarens and the Ferraris, among other surprises.
However, Verstappen, who was left behind in 15th place, struggled more than either of them. He may have had more to say about his Friday if he hadn’t been disciplined earlier in the day for using profanity during a press conference.
If the Dutchman is unable to qualify at least somewhat close to Norris, his championship lead could be drastically reduced. He claimed he had “no grip” in the low speed corners.
When the Briton realized how much of a lead there was over everyone else, he couldn’t help but smile. Leclerc is the only one who appears likely to intervene. “I’m feeling good, the pace is good, and it was a nice lap,” stated Norris. I suppose we’re doing what we should be doing to be at the front with Ferrari.
Charles is not far behind, and that was a really nice lap. My expectation was for a significantly greater gap than what I actually had, indicating that they move quickly and that Ferrari is incredibly fast. But so far, everything is going smoothly. The car felt excellent right away. We’re always good at that; simply showing up and doing a good job is one of our strengths. However, we don’t always advance as quickly as some of the other teams.
“We’re in a good position, but it will be close. We can only refine things a little and work out a few minor issues; there is not much else that can be changed. Charles excels in street circuits. If he wasn’t satisfied with his lap, I have a lot of concerns about tomorrow! However, we’re in a good place, so I’ll be content if we can maintain it.”
Leave a Reply