Lando Norris expressed uncertainty about whether McLaren can resolve a crucial issue affecting his car's straight-line speed ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend. Despite a strong start to the season, where he secured three pole positions and two victories, Norris has struggled recently, finishing fifth in both Azerbaijan and Malaysia, and faced a crash in Azerbaijan.

The straight-line speed problem, which has seen Norris lag behind teammate Oscar Piastri at times, appears linked to his power unit. When asked about the team's ability to fix the issue before Singapore, Norris candidly stated, "I have no idea. The team are trying but I'm losing almost two tenths a lap. Two tenths a lap over 55 laps is just painful as hell. It's making my life pretty damn difficult."

Andrea Stella, McLaren's boss, acknowledged that rival teams might have made more significant developments in their cars after McLaren's promising upgrades during the Hungarian Grand Prix. He noted, "We have to acknowledge that potentially some competitors have developed their car with bigger steps than we did."

Stella also mentioned that the extreme conditions in Malaysia could have skewed performance evaluations, suggesting that Singapore might provide a clearer picture of McLaren's competitiveness. He emphasized the need for further analysis of their upgrades and how they impact performance in various conditions.

As the team prepares for the sprint weekend in Singapore, both Norris and Stella remain hopeful but cautious about the potential for improvement.