The Singapore Grand Prix was full of firsts and possibly lasts, but it was a straightforward race. Lando Norris (McLaren) won, followed close behind by Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren). This is a good turnout for Verstappen, as it is now more likely for him to win the World Driver’s Championship.
Norris is no stranger to pole position, meaning that he started first and had the advantage on the first lap. In the 2024 season, he has had pole five times. Unfortunately, in his previous pole positions, Norris had lost the lead by the end of the first lap, sometimes even during the first turn. One of Singapore’s “firsts” came when Norris maintained the lead throughout every single lap.
Norris would have scored one more point if he had maintained the fastest lap time of the race. Daniel Riccardo (Visa Cashapp RB), Verstappen’s former teammate, was able to complete the fastest lap near the end of the race. Riccardo also won Driver of the Day. Winning Driver of the Day could be due to helping Verstappen keep his lead in the Driver’s Championship.
In addition, Riccardo could have won Driver of the Day for a more emotional reason. There has been speculation that this could be Riccardo’s last race for the team. Since he has no seat for the 2025 season, he might also have completed his last race in Formula 1 for the time being.
Even as a recent fan of Formula 1, by watching the races and the Netflix show Drive to Survive, I don’t want Daniel to leave the sport. He already had a tough enough time losing his previous seat with Norris at McLaren to Piastri.
Fans—and Riccardo himself—seem to be preparing for this to be his last race. He was very emotional in the post- race interviews when answering questions about his suspected departure. However, there has been no confirmation from his team on whether he will stay for the rest of the season. If he doesn’t, Liam Lawson, the reserve driver for the team, will replace him. It would be the second time this season that a seasoned driver is replaced for the rest of the season.
I mentioned last week that Oliver Bearman raced for Haas due to his future teammate’s penalty points. Franco Colapinto (Williams) replaced the team’s former driver Logan Sargeant mid-season. He has been performing well, scoring 11th in Singapore. On to Austin, Texas!
The “High-Octane Herald” is written by Ava O’Donnell and details the latest Formula One news regarding races and current events.