David Coulthard makes Ayrton Senna claim after Lando Norris’s Singapore Grand Prix victory

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McLaren driver Lando Norris went into the Singapore Grand Prix knowing anything less than perfection would seriously impact his chances of winning an unlikely first Formula 1 world championship.

The gap between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen going into the weekend was 59 points but with just seven Grand Prix and three Sprint Races left this year, the comeback was still on even if it required a very specific set of circumstances to still be in his hands.

Norris delivered on the first part of the deal, putting his McLaren on pole, although he probably didn’t anticipate Verstappen joining him on the front row of the grid.

Despite Helmut Marko’s warning about Norris’s starts, the Brit led from start to finish and only a late attempt to secure the fastest lap by Daniel Ricciardo denied Norris a first career grand slam.

That point could be significant as in the improbable scenario that Norris wins every race between now and the end of the season and secures every fastest lap, Verstappen would still win the title by finishing second.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from height and parents to celebration

Nevertheless, David Coulthard was covering the Singapore Grand Prix for Channel 4 and couldn’t speak highly enough of the 24-year-old.

It was only the third win of Norris’s career but the nature of how he went about his business was exceptional.

While Verstappen couldn’t believe how close Norris got to crashing, his outright pace was immense.

He was even able to extend his lead over Verstappen at will when asked and teammate Oscar Piastri wasn’t at his level after his potentially career-defining drive in Baku the week before.

David Coulthard makes Ayrton Senna comparison after Lando Norris’s Singapore Grand Prix win

Asked about how well Norris performed, Coulthard said: “It’s a masterclass, and a kiss [with the wall] without removing a corner shows he’s got it down to perfection.

“The only one that really surprised me was at the end of the lap when he had that lock up and then he ended up at [turn] 14 just touching the TECPRO barrier.

“Otherwise, flawless, what a performance, human and machine in perfect harmony.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

“He was like that from the first practice on Friday, had the upper hand on Oscar who did a really solid job to come back through and pick up that podium.

“It’s almost like Lando; he’s so humble and approachable, he doesn’t realise how great and significant his performances are right now.

“I’m talking in a squeaky voice here but I want to put him in the [Ayrton] Senna, [Michael] Schumacher, [Lewis] Hamilton at his best type performances.

“We can all win a Grand Prix by getting a bit lucky but this was exceptional.”

Given how fast Ayrton Senna was on the streets of Monaco, it’s only fitting that Coulthard compared Norris to the Brazilian genius on another street circuit.

Nico Rosberg highlights the moment he knew Lando Norris could win this year’s F1 world championship

Very few drivers ever reach F1 and of those that do, even fewer ever have a chance to win a championship.

Since 2000, only eight different drivers have won the title with Verstappen the latest to assert his dominance on the sport.

McLaren have the fastest car on the grid right now and if that had been the case since Bahrain, Norris would be the favourite to add his name to that list.

Nico Rosberg believes Norris showed in Singapore he could topple Verstappen this year but it still looks like a very difficult task.

Norris needs Piastri to follow him home at the next few races to cut down the deficit and even then, the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes have proven they’re in the mix to win races as well.

The autumn break will be important for every team working on the final upgrades for this year’s cars before turning their attention to 2025.

It could all come down to the steps taken over the next few weeks before the final two triple-headers of the season.