P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren has explained it elected not to pit Lando Norris to chase the fastest lap in F1’s Singapore GP as it wanted to “focus on bringing the car home”.
“Norris dominated the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, extending his pole position advantage to a commanding 20-second lead over his main rival, Max Verstappen. Despite this impressive performance, Norris narrowly missed out on achieving a grand slam victory as Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull Racing set a faster lap time with new tires near the end of the race. McLaren’s decision not to bring Norris in for a second pit stop was based on concerns of potential challenges from backmarkers as the race progressed. Team principal Andrea Stella explained that the focus was on maintaining a clean and error-free race for Norris, which ultimately paid off. Although Norris encountered some close calls with the barriers due to turbulence from cars ahead, he persevered with a relentless pace towards the end to keep the option of a second stop open. Despite facing difficulties on Hard tires and managing traffic, Norris remained committed to maximizing his performance throughout the challenging race.”
