Magazine: Norris dominates but Verstappen does enough

Lando Norris’s supremacy at the Singapore Grand Prix and the 2024 Formula 1 title fight get top billing in this week’s Autosport magazine, out today (26 September).

It was hard to decide on the angle for this week’s cover. On the one hand, Norris put in one of the most dominant non-Red Bull performances we’ve seen for a long time in Singapore. But, on the other, Max Verstappen (with a little help from Daniel Ricciardo’s fastest lap) minimised the points loss to seven and remains a chunky 52 ahead.

In the end, we went for the ‘dream is still on’ approach, partly because that tallies with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella’s attitude, and partly because the situation seems to sit neatly between Norris having a realistic title chance and merely a mathematical one.

As our in-depth coverage shows, McLaren will be encouraged that the MCL38 remained the pacesetter despite the requirement for its clever rear wing to be tweaked, but Red Bull has some upgrades coming and it’s hard to believe that it won’t strike back at some point over the final six events.

There’s no doubt that we have a brilliant British Touring Car title fight to settle at the Brands Hatch finale next month. Jake Hill and Tom Ingram have been outstanding this year, and it seems entirely appropriate that they are tied at the top of the table following a dramatic Silverstone weekend in soaking conditions. Marcus Simmons reports in this week’s issue, having just about dried out!

Titles were also up for grabs in the support categories. Stephen Lickorish brings you the latest from the British F4, Porsche and Mini paddocks in our 19-page National section that includes reports from Silverstone, Castle Combe, Thruxton and Donington Park, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at being a race mechanic.

We also reveal the four rising British talents who will battle it out for an F1 test and £200,000 in the Silverstone Autosport BRDC Award, plus look at the importance of Toyota’s decision to enter Australian Supercars from 2026.

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