Norris and McLaren hit a wall in Baku and Sepang after dominating the mid-season stretch with three poles and two wins. Neither driver reached the podium at either race, and Norris admits they've "underperformed" — blunt words from a driver who knows the championship math is slipping away. The culprit: an unspecified straight-line speed deficit that's cost him "two or three positions" in qualifying and left him getting passed down straights even after exiting corners quicker. Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari all had better raw pace at Sepang, forcing McLaren to scramble for answers. Norris is "hopeful" the team has solved the issue heading into Singapore, where he won last year and the tight, twisty layout masks straight-line weakness. He'll need more than hope — McLaren sits third in the standings, just 18 points clear of Red Bull and 240 behind Mercedes. Singapore either confirms the fix or exposes a deeper problem.
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