Lando Norris admitted he has been unwell in Singapore but insisted he would not use illness as an excuse for his disappointing qualifying
Lando Norris has admitted he has been unwell so far over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. But after a disappointing qualifying session under the lights of the street circuit, he is keen to not blame this for his performance.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after he finished fifth on a difficult Saturday, Norris was asked about his health.
"If there's anywhere you don't want to be poorly, it's here," he said, smiling. "So I'm better today. Yesterday and the day before, I was struggling a little bit.
"It hit me pretty quickly, but it also went away relatively quickly. So I'm probably not optimal. But yeah, no excuses for today.”
Norris will start the race behind polesitter Mercedes' George Russell and Max Verstappen, who will be alongside him on the front row, while team-mate Oscar Piastri will start third alongside rookie Kimi Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton will sit beside Norris in sixth.
“I think others are just also improving," he said on the lack of performance from the Woking outfit this weekend. "The Mercedes' are doing a very good job. Red Bull, like we've seen, have been very good last weekend.
"So nothing's a surprise. I think the only thing is Singapore has always been a little bit of a weird one. And we know whenever we struggle with the front tyres, we struggle a lot as a team.
"The whole weekend, we've been struggling with the front tyres. In the contrary to that, we know that anytime everyone in the grid, like everyone in F1, struggles with the front tyres, like they are this weekend with the new tarmac bits. Mercedes is normally always a team that comes out on top, like Vegas last year, for instance, and things like that."
Lando Norris, McLaren
Russell finished second in the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix while also suffering from a respiratory infection. He issued an update on his own health when talking to the media on Thursday ahead of this weekend.
"Yeah, feeling better, to be honest. Baku was a tough one, just in terms of how I was feeling. Not 100% right now. I've improved substantially. But if I think it was any other race, I wouldn't have a single shred of concern. But of course, Singapore being Singapore and the obvious challenges here... I'm sure it will be fine. But Sunday won't be a breeze."
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Category: General Sports
