Daniel Ricciardo stops Lando Norris from breaking 26-year McLaren record at the Singapore Grand Prix

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Lando Norris dominated the Singapore Grand Prix from lights to flag, including winning by the second-largest margin of the season around the streets of Marina Bay.

Championship rival Max Verstappen was 20 seconds behind after 62 laps, as Red Bull continued to struggle to match McLaren.

A 52-point lead now means that Verstappen only needs to finish second at every race, including without taking any fastest laps to claim his fourth title in a row.

But he will have to achieve that feat without having the best car, with seven races left to hang on to what is an ever-decreasing lead.

Lando Norris denied the chance to break Mika Hakkinen record

Verstappen last outscored Norris in the Belgian Grand Prix, which means he needs all the help he can get in defence of his championship.

At the Singapore Grand Prix, he was aided by old friend Daniel Ricciardo who stole the fastest lap from Norris with two laps left.

That point could be crucial in the title race – just ask Lewis Hamilton who lost out on the title during his rookie season in 2007 by one singular point.

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But it also prevented Norris from breaking a 26-year-old record which was last achieved by Mika Hakkinen during his championship-winning season of 1998 with McLaren.

The Flying Finn was the last driver to achieve a ‘grand slam’ – by winning the race, pole position, taking the fastest lap and leading every lap at Monaco.

Will Norris receive another chance to achieve a grand slam?

McLaren’s current advantage means you would expect Norris to receive another opportunity to claim a grand slam.

Red Bull needs to upgrade their car if they want to challenge for race wins between now and the end of the year.

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A lot relies on Verstappen’s ability to work miracles with a slower car to ensure that he claims a fourth consecutive championship.

Martin Brundle lauded McLaren’s rate of development, as they have proved to the rest of the field how possible it is to catch up to the top teams.

They started the 2023 season with the ninth-fastest car, and are going to end 2024 with a considerable car advantage if the current trend continues as is.