Lando Norris Admits Uncertainty Over McLaren Fixing Straight-Line Speed Issue Before Singapore Grand Prix

Sky Sports•Published: Oct 6, 2026 11:30 AM IST

McLaren driver Lando Norris has expressed uncertainty over whether his team can resolve a straight-line speed deficit affecting his car ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix. The reigning world champion has struggled in recent outings in Azerbaijan and Malaysia, losing nearly two tenths of a second per lap and falling behind teammate Oscar Piastri.

Straight-Line Deficit: Lando Norris revealed he is losing almost two tenths of a lap due to an unexplained straight-line speed issue that is significantly hindering his race pace.
Recent Struggles: The McLaren driver managed only fifth in qualifying and finished ninth in a difficult outing at Sepang, following a crash in Azerbaijan.
Team Development: McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted that rival constructors like Mercedes and Red Bull may have made larger development steps with their cars.

The Context & Background

This comes after a promising period before the summer break where upgrade packages at the Hungarian Grand Prix helped propel Norris to pole positions and race victories. McLaren is now working frantically to identify the root cause of the data anomaly before the upcoming Formula 1 Sprint weekend in Singapore.

Why it matters:The technical setbacks faced by McLaren threaten to derail their momentum in an increasingly competitive Formula 1 season. With rival teams like Mercedes and Red Bull surging forward, resolving these performance anomalies is critical for McLaren to stay in contention for championship victories.

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