Lando Norris Reveals Illness At Singapore Grand Prix

Lando Norris has revealed he has been battling an illness during the Singapore Grand Prix week but has insisted that it is 'no excuse' for his qualifying struggles.

The McLaren driver will line up fifth on the grid at the Marina Bay Circuit having failed to join in the fight for pole position, which was ultimately won by Mercedes driver George Russell ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Crucially for Norris, teammate and Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri is third on the grid as he aims to further stretch his advantage from the current 25-point gap.

Norris: "It hit me pretty quickly"

Norris was never on pace to challenge the for a top-three spot on the grid throughout qualifying, with Piastri and Verstappen instead facing surprise pressure from Mercedes, especially given the Silver Arrows' difficult Friday.

"Singapore has always been a little bit of a weird one," Norris told Sky Sports UK. "We know we struggle whenever we struggle with the front tyres. This whole weekend we have been struggling with the front tires."

"In the contrary to that, we know that anytime everyone on the grid struggles with the front tyres like they are this weekend, Mercedes is normally always the team that comes out on top, like Vegas last year for example."

When his illness was mentioned, he replied: "If there is anywhere you don't want to be poorly, it's here. I am feeling better today. Yesterday and the day before, I was struggling a bit. It hit me pretty quickly but it went away pretty quickly. I am probably not optimal but no excuses for today."

Come on, team 💪#McLaren | #SingaporeGP 🇸🇬 pic.twitter.com/X0cDDZRJTF
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 4, 2025

Norris took pole and the win at Singapore 12 months ago but now faces an uphill task to take all 25 points on Sunday and is instead entering damage limitation mode.

Suggesting the win was "asking for a lot" when asked if that was possible, he conceded: "I am sure I will go back to my room and we will ask the same questions. This track is all about qualifying, there are always chances in a race but not many and if you are starting where we are, normally it is can you get up to second or third.

"But a win, like we saw with me last year, as soon as you are out front in clean air, it is easy. We are not in that positon this year so a lot of work to do."

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