Norris says McLaren fuel fix needs track test

Lando Norris said McLaren had made changes aimed at fixing a fuel-system problem that has hurt his straight-line speed, but he would need to test the car at the Singapore Grand Prix before judging whether the issue was resolved. The team had been working to understand the performance loss after recent races, Norris said ahead of Singapore running on Friday. He described the changes as promising, while stressing that track performance would provide the test. Singapore’s Marina Bay circuit places less emphasis on straight-line speed than some recent venues, he noted, but said the team still needed to recover the speed it expected to have. McLaren made changes to auxiliary power-unit components, including the fuel system, ahead of practice, according to reporting on the team’s preparations. The changes concerned components on McLaren’s side of the installation, rather than a change to the Mercedes engine unit. The stated aim was to address a problem identified as affecting fuel injection and top speed. Norris said the straight-line-speed problem had cost him two or three positions in each of the previous two qualifying sessions.