Charles Leclerc attributed the collision involving Lando Norris during the second practice session of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix to a mistake by his Ferrari team. The incident happened late in the session when a misjudgement while releasing Leclerc in the pitlane caused him to collide with Norris’s McLaren.
Details of the Pitlane Incident and its Causes
Ferrari released Leclerc’s car into the path of Norris, forcing the Monegasque driver to make contact with the McLaren. This collision damaged Norris’s front wing and led to the McLaren hitting the pit wall. The crash took place in the final 20 minutes of a practice session that had been interrupted twice by red flags, resulting in a congested restart with many cars trying to exit simultaneously.
Leclerc explained that having both McLaren drivers, including Oscar Piastri closely behind Norris, contributed to confusion among his team. He said,
“It was a bit of confusion with the two McLarens going out, It looked like they were going out at the same time. So he [his mechanic] thought that they would go out a bit slow, and so I didn’t have the message to stop. On these cases, you kind of rely on the team.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
He added that the chaotic nature of the session, with repeated red flags, created pressure to get laps completed quickly. Leclerc commented,
“But these things happen, and it was also in a tricky moment because with all the red flags, everybody was in such a rush to get out to do some laps. So, it’s a combination of things. It’s not something you want, but these things happen.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Impact on Session Performance and Team Prospects
Leclerc finished ninth in the disrupted session, but he remained optimistic after a promising first practice where he posted the second-fastest time. Reflecting on the day, he said,
“Good FP1, very difficult FP2. It’s been just a very messy FP2 with the traffic and with the red flags and with the pitlane incident. So, lots of things going on which haven’t been very positive, but we’ll reset and come back stronger. I think the pace is in the car, so that’s a good thing.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Leclerc’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton, showed competitive pace as well, ranking fourth in the first practice and finishing tenth in FP2 despite disruptions. Hamilton remarked,
“It’s generally been a good day. I felt like we made steps forward today, so I feel like overnight, we probably won’t change much. But, of course, trying to refine the set-up and see if we can extract a little bit more to get as close as we can to the McLarens.”
Lewis Hamilton
Session Conditions and Challenges Affecting Teams
The second practice session was plagued by limited track time caused by two red flags, which increased congestion and raised the risk of incidents such as the Leclerc-Norris pitlane collision. Many teams faced difficulties managing restarts and timing, contributing to pressure on drivers and crew to optimize track running in the shortened session.
Despite the setbacks, both Ferrari and McLaren showed competitive pace that suggests strong potential for the weekend’s qualifying and race. Adjustments to car setup will be crucial as teams seek to improve performance under Singapore’s challenging street circuit conditions.
Looking Ahead to the Singapore Grand Prix
While the Lando Norris pitlane collision was a setback for Ferrari and McLaren alike, both teams remain focused on maximizing their performance for the upcoming rounds. Leclerc’s confidence in the car’s speed indicates that Ferrari expects to bounce back, while McLaren will work on improving consistency after Norris’s costly damage. The race weekend remains wide open with several key drivers still chasing their first wins this season, including Leclerc and Hamilton.
