Heading into the 2026 F1 Singapore GP weekend, McLaren’s Lando Norris is “hopeful” the Woking outfit’s fixes brought to the Marina Bay Street Circuit will be able to resolve the straight-line speed issues that have plagued his car over the last two weekends. Oscar Piastri’s P6 finish a week earlier at Sepang has been the team’s best result in this triple-header.
Ahead of the weekend, the Briton currently sits P5 in the 2026 F1 Drivers’ Standings with 188 points. Norris will be looking to maximise his MCL40’s potential on track with 33 points on the table at the Singapore GP weekend.
Learnings from the 2026 F1 Malaysia round
The last time McLaren stood on the podium was at the 2026 F1 Spanish GP, where Norris took a P3 finish. He had been on pole and was fastest in the race. Norris had previously won at Hungary and Zandvoort as the MCL40 came alive mid-season.
Reflecting on the dip in performance over the past two rounds, the Briton shared that there were struggles with the car, engine and his own performance.
“Oh, there were a fair few, both from my side, from us as a team, obviously from what happened in the race, but also just general things from a car point of view and what we need to do a better job in, and how can we get back to the same level as we were in the previous few, Budapest, Zandvoort, Madrid.”
The reigning champion also reflected that McLaren have been “working very hard” to understand the straight-line speed deficit he has had in Azerbaijan and Malaysia.
The Woking outfit’s primary goal is to unlock the potential they had prior to Baku and return to stronger form.
“So, the team have been working very hard. We’ve all worked very hard to understand what we could learn from last weekend, what we can and need to do better. The exact things, specifics of it, I don’t need to go into, but there was a good amount. There were some obvious ones, such as the straight-line speed and the issues I’ve been having with the car, which are obvious ones, and obviously more technical ones from how can we unlock more potential from the car to get back to the performance that we had previously. So that’s a tricky one to do, but there’s a lot of stuff and the team have been pretty flat out. So that’s a good thing.”
It was not a track-specific issue
When the Briton was asked if McLaren’s straight-line deficit at the 2026 F1 Malaysia round was specific to the track, he reflected: “Well, Baku, we weren’t necessarily too quick either. So, I wouldn’t say just a Malaysia thing.”
Nonetheless, the 26-year-old did state that the tricky track surface conditions at Sepang did have an impact on their weekend.
“There’s certainly some aspects of Malaysia with the roughness of the tarmac that we think did play a part.”
Norris revealed that the team will be using the 2026 F1 Singapore GP weekend to evaluate the MCL40’s performance and make further upgrades if necessary. The Briton is aware McLaren has been underperforming, but he believes the Marina Bay Street Circuit layout will suit their chassis better and allow them to maximise their performance.
“So, it’s a good thing for us to see this weekend if some of the performance that we were missing there does come back. And Singapore is a track I’ve enjoyed and we’ve been pretty good here over the last few years. So yeah, certainly a little bit of it is track layout, and the last couple of tracks have not been to the same strengths as what we’ve seen in Madrid and some of the other races. But all in all, we’ve still been underperforming to the level we need to and we want to be. So yeah, we still need to do a better job, no matter what.”
Norris on racing at the Marina Bay Circuit
The Briton has had a very successful run at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Norris has clinched a podium finish at the Singapore GP for three consecutive years since 2023, with a win from pole in 2024. Last year, at the 2025 F1 Singapore GP, McLaren even clinched the Constructors’ Championship at the circuit.
The reigning champion is excited to return to the track for the 2026 F1 Singapore GP, sharing that it was a ” fun circuit”. Norris believes McLaren will be able to see a resurgence in pace this weekend as they have always found success at the track.
“I mean, it’s just a fun place to come to. I know that doesn’t have the biggest effect on, obviously, the driving. It’s just a track, from a driving style point of view, where certain things you just feel very comfortable with and you can click with very quickly. Generally, the car has always performed pretty good here too. So, I don’t know what in particular. It’s just a fun circuit. It’s challenging. You have to adapt a lot from a driving style point of view, I think, with the bumps and the cornering layout. So just all in all, it’s a tough track, but one I enjoy.”
Norris on the Sprint race weekend format for the 2026 F1 Singapore GP
The 2026 F1 Singapore GP will be the track’s first time hosting a Sprint Race since the introduction of the format in 2021. Norris shared his doubts about the entertainment value of the Sprint race this weekend and shared his insights on the format.
According to the Briton, the 2026 F1 Singapore GP is already one of the most demanding weekends of the season. The combination of the extreme weather and unforgiving circuit layout meant practice sessions were vital to be fully prepared ahead of the main race.
However, with the introduction of the Sprint, teams and drivers now only have one FP1 session to set up their cars which will pose a significant challenge.
“Yes, I think this kind of track, I mean, I don’t know from a Sprint race if it’s going to be the best Sprint race you’ll ever see. I don’t think it is. But in terms of just FP1, qualifying and the challenge of getting up to speed quickly on a street circuit with these cars is a big, big challenge. So, from that bit, I look forward to it.”
Hopeful ahead of the 2026 F1 Singapore GP
Coming into the 2026 F1 Singapore GP weekend, McLaren have brought plenty of changes to their challengers to counter the dip in performance. A significant number of changes have been made to Norris’ Mercedes power unit to resolve a fuel system issue, in addition to suspension and rear wing tweaks.
Norris is optimistic these fixes will be able to bring back some performance to his MCL40. The Briton also noted that the Marina Bay Street Circuit did not heavily rely on straight-line speed unlike Baku.
Nonetheless, he did reflect that the main goal was always to be faster.
Norris also reflected on the frustration over the past two weekends with the lack of straight-line speed plaguing his performance and preventing him from fighting at the front.
The Briton is looking forward to driving his MCL40 on track to test the fixes and to gauge where McLaren stands this weekend.
“Yeah, hopeful. Need to get on track first and see how much better it is. It’s obviously also a circuit where straights are not the highest priority and not as detrimental as the last few weekends. But nevertheless, you always want to go down the straights as quick as what you should be able to. And it’s always tough when you come out of corners better and end up going slower.
“So, it’s been a frustrating two weekends trying to figure out what the issue’s been and why there’s just been a constant lack of straight-line speed and performance. And especially in this kind of battle we’ve been in, the last two qualifyings it’s been two or three positions. So, it’s cost me quite a lot. At the same time, there’s obviously things I can do better as well. But confident that the team have done a good job. They put a lot of work into trying to figure out things and hopeful that it’ll be better this weekend. But honestly, I have to get out on track and see first.”
