Sep.23 (GMM) Although Lando Norris utterly dominated the Singapore GP, he still faced criticism from a couple of former Formula 1 drivers.
“When you’re so far ahead, you should actually be driving relaxed,” Jan Lammers, who is also the boss of the Dutch GP, told NOS.
Indeed, even McLaren CEO Zak Brown admitted he directly intervened on Sunday by radioing his title-challenging driver and warning him to stop making small driving mistakes.
“Tired, happy and tense,” he said when asked how he feels after the chequered flag. “Lando came close to the wall a few times.
“He asked over the radio if we saw him hit the wall. I said ‘Yes, don’t do it again’,” Brown smiled. “But he drove brilliantly. He was flying.”
2016 world champion Nico Rosberg warned Norris, 24, that if he can’t find a way to more calmly bring a dominant car to the line, he could throw away the title.
“It’s very strange,” he told Sky Deutschland. “Unusual. You’re so far in the lead and you make three mistakes. Twice it was so close to the wall that it was almost over.
“He brakes far too late and blocks the front tyre. Normally you’re gone, the front wing is broken and there goes the victory. That was a huge stroke of luck,” added the German.
“If he really wants to become world champion, he has to get rid of this behaviour somehow. I mean, if you have the same speed as the guy behind and a 30-second lead, it’s not the most difficult thing to bring the car home.”
Lammers, however, admitted that it can be dangerous for a driver to relax in the lead with such a big gap. “Especially if you’re good on these street circuits, you get into a flow.
“Then you ease off, mistakes can happen. You suddenly become very aware of everything you’re doing. That’s why I think Lando was pushing for fun.”