Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Lando Norris grabbed his sixth Formula One pole in Singapore, setting a benchmark two tenths of a second clear of championship leader Max Verstappen. However, with a forgettable record off pole, Norris will have to overcome a major weakness to keep his slim championship hopes alive.
Norris wore a beaming smile as he made his way into parc ferme post-qualifying. He'd grabbed one of the most important pole positions of 2024. Even with the aid of four DRS zones, overtaking remains notoriously difficult around the winding streets of Singapore.
He will be joined by Verstappen on the front row, the Dutchman pleased to fare better at Singapore than he did around the 4.94 km (3.06 mi) long street circuit. The triple world champion qualified a whopping nine places ahead of where he did in 2023, in stark contrast to Red Bull's fortunes a year ago.
Norris is also Verstappen's closest challenger in the championship, the Briton sitting 59 points off the Red Bull racer in the standings. With seven races and three sprints to go, Norris has plenty of opportunities to gain points on the reigning champion, given the recent performance of both cars in the second part of 2024.
However, as stellar as McLaren and Norris have been all season long, the Briton has one major chink in his armour. Should this resurface on Sunday, it has the potential to dent Norris's slim championship hopes further.
Getting away from pole — Norris's biggest drawback
Norris's hardwork on Saturdays has translated into five pole positions across 2024. This, in addition to his maiden pole at Russia three years prior, mean he has accumulated six pole positions in his Formula One career, alongside a sprint pole at Interlagos in 2023.
However, a recurring theme has been his tendency to lose positions off pole on the opening lap. It's a trait first witnessed on his maiden run from pole at Sochi, and in the 24-lap sprint at São Paulo two years later.
The contrasting run down to the first braking zones couldn't have been any more evident: Sochi's run down to turn 2 featured a 900-metre drag, while the run from pole to the Senna-S at Interlagos is only just shy of 200 metres.
While Sochi's long straight disadvantaged those starting from pole, due to the rest of the grid being able to stay in the pole-sitter's slipstream and make a move into turn 2, Interlagos was all down to getting the best drive off the five red lights.
Between these two disparities lie the rest of the opportunities where Norris has failed to cling onto the lead after starting at the head of the field. At Barcelona earlier this season, a stern defence of Verstappen went in vain, allowing George Russell to streak ahead into the lead in turn one.
At Budapest, a slow start allowed teammate Oscar Piastri to draw alongside, and make a move into turn one, seizing the race lead. Zandvoort saw home hero Verstappen ace the 215m run down to turn one, before Norris eased past later in the race to take victory.
The following round at Monza saw Norris hold the lead into the first chicane. However, a brilliant move by teammate Piastri saw the Australian dart ahead at the ensuing Della Roggia chicane, shoving Norris wide. The Briton also lost a position to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the process, dropping down to third.
It's a dubious record Norris wants to avoid in the future, and has become even more of a talking point with every passing race weekend. With 59 points separating himself from leader Verstappen in the standings, who starts alongside Norris on Sunday, it's no secret why the 300-metre run down from pole to turn one holds even more significance than you could imagine.
The difficulties ahead if Norris fails to hold the lead on lap one
Singapore is a street circuit at heart. If there's one thing evident about street circuits, they are notoriously difficult to overtake on. The challenge is enhanced manifold with a hungry young Dutchman who believes he could be in the fight for victory around a track where he's never won before.
Another poor start for Norris would certainly spell trouble. With the man he is chasing, right behind on the road, any slip-ups would allow the Dutchman to sneak ahead, and determine the direction the race takes.
Furthermore, this would force Norris to stay close to his rival up ahead, and in the dirty air generated by the Red Bull ahead, much like Leclerc last weekend in Baku. This could force him to use up more tyre life to stay in the DRS range of Verstappen ahead. On a track where the tyres can easily overheat, this could spell trouble for Norris and his championship ambitions.
Additionally, pushing too hard can have its own risks around a street track. With the walls oh so close around Singapore, even one slip-up or moment of going wide can spell the end of Norris's race. George Russell's last-lap off into the barrier at turn 10 cost him a podium finish, showing just how costly errors here can be.
This is all before we take into account an important points swing the Dutchman would take if he were to break his victory duck at Singapore. Should Verstappen and Norris finish first and second, with neither driver taking the fastest lap, the gap between the top two would swell to 66 points, undoing Norris's hardwork over the past few rounds.
In essence, a lot more rides on the run down to turn one, lap one on Sunday. A crucial race win, a points swing, a chance to determine the way the strategy plays out, it's no secret why Norris will face a tough ask to correct his wrongs from earlier rounds on Sunday.
And that is before we consider a 40% chance of rain during the race. As has been famously evident in the past, rain at the start of a Singapore Grand Prix can be tricky to navigate. This makes lap one even more important for the front row starters.
Will Norris be able to lead off pole position for the first time in his Formula One career? Or will this be another race to add to those where he has lost the lead down into turn one? Tune in to the race at 1 pm BST (8 pm track time) to find out!
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