Liam Lawson voices major F1 defence after Singapore dummy run

Liam Lawson has defended the running of an F1 sprint in Singapore, with the event largely being viewed as a dummy run ahead of next year's Monaco event.

After the rain cleared during the weekend's sprint, the race settled into a largely processionary affair, until Lando Norris clattered into team-mate Oscar Piastri on the penultimate lap. 

It was the first time the sprint has been held in Singapore, and just the second overall on a street circuit after Azerbaijan in 2023, although the Baku circuit is unique with its long 1.6-mile main straight, which offers plenty of overtaking opportunities. 

In contrast, the tight, twisty Singapore circuit was the first that could be deemed a traditional street track to host a sprint, with the format also to be used for the first time in Monaco in 2027.

The idea is that with only a single hour of practice in the Principality and two qualifying sessions, there will be more thrilling action ahead of the races. 

When questioned about his take on the sprints on street circuits, after opposition from some other drivers, Lawson defended the idea and also pointed out why racing on street circuits was such a challenge with the new 2026 cars.

"I quite like them, to be honest," Lawson told media, including RacingNews365, when asked for his take on Singapore as a sprint. 

"These tracks have always been super fun to drive, especially in qualifying. 

"Ultimately, in the race, obviously it's hard to overtake, but it's always been hard to overtake.

"And I think, to be honest, it's one of the things about these cars: they're not easy to overtake.

"I think earlier in the year there was a lot of overtaking, but when you come to a race like this, there's not that much difference in straight-line performance. 

"There's no real clipping down the straights, which, yes, means there are no speed differences, but it just means everyone's doing the same speed, and it's very, very hard to race."