Lando Norris won the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix but two worrying moments in the race could have handed Max Verstappen victory and changed the course of the F1 title fight
Lando Norris’ worrying habit almost led to disaster and handed Max Verstappen the F1 title.
Norris dominated the Singapore Grand Prix last week, finishing 20.9 seconds ahead of Verstappen and closing the gap to the world champion to 52 points. However, despite not being under any pressure, Norris had two near misses, both of which were close calls.
The first incident occurred when he turned wide on the right-hand bend, narrowly missing the barrier. He then gently touched the wall, with a slightly harder impact likely ending his race.
After the second near-death experience, race engineer Will Joseph intervened via radio, urging Norris to maintain “full concentration” and reminding him to “take a sip”. The latter instruction was an acknowledgement of Norris’ unusual habit of not drinking during races.
Singapore is notoriously demanding for drivers, with the sweltering heat and tough track often leaving them dehydrated and struggling to concentrate. This may have been a factor for Norris, who reported feeling “dizzy” after the race.
He said in September, according to Racing News 365: “I never drink during a race. I don’t usually run with a drink bottle. I think I’ve drunk from my water bottle twice in Formula 1 – and both times were when I was really sick, like in Barcelona a couple of years ago. I try and do that.
“I really struggle and I tend to forget. [I] don’t like drinking during races. But there are other ways to make sure I have enough energy with energy bars and some drinks that I can drink in small amounts but with a high concentration.”
Norris also admitted that he struggles to eat before races because of his anxiety, saying: “Before races, I still get that same excitement and anxiety. I can’t drink anything on Sunday, just because of the anxiety and the pressure.”
The gruelling nature of the race in Singapore was highlighted when Mercedes stars Lewis Hamilton and George Russell missed post-race media duties due to “heatstroke”. Silver Arrow team principal Toto Wolff explained: “They weren’t feeling well, had heatstroke or something like that, but they drank water.
“They couldn’t come to the [media] room. There was no discomfort or any discomfort. It’s just that we had a doctor with them. But they were all fine.”
Hamilton, who finished sixth after starting third, was later quoted in a Mercedes press release as saying: “It’s hard to put into words the emotions you feel when we have such a difficult race.”
