McLaren is ahead of Red Bull in the Formula 1 constructors' race. Now for Lando Norris to put pressure on Max Verstappen for the drivers' title.
Oscar Piastri's win last week at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix put McLaren top in the teams' standings — the key to F1's lavish prize money — but teammate Norris only took a small bite out of Verstappen's lead.
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Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain steers his car during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain arrives during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands is pushed on the grid before the Formula One Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain makes a pit stop during the Formula One Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Ali Haideric/Pool via AP)
After starting 15th, Norris passed Verstappen late in the race to finish fourth, but the Dutch driver still leads by 59 points heading into the Singapore Grand Prix.
The talk in F1 this week has focused on McLaren's seemingly flexible rear wing, which might help at high speed. Piastri said Thursday it's legal and isn't a “magic bullet” for their recent success.
F1 looks wide open right now with Ferrari and Mercedes both fighting for wins. McLaren will still have to battle hard even if Red Bull isn't on the pace at a track where Verstappen has never won.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fastest in the first practice on Friday, but only by .076 seconds from Norris. Carlos Sainz Jr. was third-fastest in the other Ferrari, and Verstappen fourth.
Piastri is the on-form driver in recent races, but in only his second season, he's heading into a late-season swing of tracks like Singapore that he doesn't know well. The Australian confirmed Thursday he'll still help out Norris' title challenge where he can.
"There’s still going to be some tough races in the latter part of the year on tracks that I’ve only been to once," Piastri said. “I feel like I’m improving a lot as I go through my career, but I’m certainly not the finished product yet.”
Singapore was the only track where Red Bull didn't win last year. The team couldn't find a competitive setup and Verstappen was far off the pace all weekend as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. took the victory.
Red Bull left Azerbaijan with some optimism that it's fixed at least some of the balance problems introduced by its attempts to upgrade the car this season. Verstappen — now without a win in seven races — wasn't happy with the car in Baku but emphasized it was a mistaken setup choice, not the underlying performance.
Singapore is slower than Baku and a trickier track for Red Bull, though.
“Our car generally is not very good on bumps and curbs and that’s of course what you have around here, so we need to try to stabilize that a bit,” Verstappen said Thursday in Singapore.
Street circuits tend to suit Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, who was fast in Baku in search of a podium finish since April. Colliding with Sainz meant all those efforts were for nothing, though.
After Singapore, Red Bull and its second team RB are expected to choose whether to keep Daniel Ricciardo at RB or recall Liam Lawson instead. Ricciardo said “decisions will be made” before the next race in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 20.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem's plans to crack down on drivers swearing has sparked the latest dispute between drivers and the governing body.
The way Ben Sulayem expressed that — drawing an unflattering comparison with “rap music” — drew criticism from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, F1's only Black driver. There was a “racial element” to Ben Sulayem's “stereotypical” language, he said.
While Hamilton said he thought there probably was too much swearing in F1, Verstappen argued TV should be more responsible about which radio excerpts get aired. “That will help a lot more than putting bans on drivers,” he said.
The heat and humidity of Singapore's street circuit make it one of the toughest races of the year for drivers. Even their water can get so hot it's hard to drink.
Mercedes driver George Russell said he started special training during the mid-season break a month ago, going for a run in three layers of clothes to simulate racing in fireproof overalls in the Singapore heat.
“We lose almost four kilograms (8 pounds, 13 ounces) of fluids in in an hour-and-a-half race, so it’s a pretty good weight loss program if that's what you're chasing," Russell said Thursday.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain steers his car during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain arrives during the first practice session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands is pushed on the grid before the Formula One Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain makes a pit stop during the Formula One Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Ali Haideric/Pool via AP)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson was solid in Baltimore's biggest game of the season so far.
Then, after one of the star quarterback's rare slip-ups, one of his teammates delivered the play of the day.
Jackson threw three touchdown passes and Marlon Humphrey scored on a fourth-quarter interception return to help the Ravens pull even with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North with a 34-17 victory over the Steelers on Saturday.
Pittsburgh (10-5) would have clinched the division with a victory, but now the teams are deadlocked after the Ravens (10-5) won for just the second time in the last 10 games in this series. Baltimore clinched a playoff berth. The Steelers had already done so.
“It was cool to get a pick-6, but clinching a spot in the playoffs, to beat the Steelers, I'm just happy that the guys came in, put in the work, and we just took care of business,” Humphrey said. “I felt that this team has had our number over the years. Just take care of business, man. I felt like the performance we put on wasn't perfect, but I felt like that's what we were supposed to do.”
Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes, the second of which tied the game at 17 with 5:14 left in the third quarter. Jackson answered with a 7-yard scoring strike to Mark Andrews, and after Pittsburgh turned the ball over on downs, a 44-yard run by Derrick Henry put the Ravens in the red zone.
That drive came to nothing when Jackson was intercepted for just the fourth time this season, but then Humphrey — who was celebrating the recent birth of his son Duke — picked off Wilson and went 37 yards to the end zone to give Baltimore a cushion in a series that’s been razor-thin of late. The previous nine games between the Steelers and Ravens were decided by seven points or fewer.
“My whole family's in town to help out with my wife and everything,” Humphrey said. “I was texting her before. I'm supposed to go pick her up from the hospital, discharge her with the baby. So there's a lot of just great things that happened this week.”
Jackson improved to 2-4 against Pittsburgh as a starter. This was his first time facing the Steelers at home since 2020.
“I feel like we've been busting our behind all season long, had ups and downs throughout this whole season, but to clinch a playoff against a great team like that, that's great,” Jackson said. “That means we're moving in the right direction.”
Henry rushed for 162 yards.
Pittsburgh entered the game with a plus-18 margin in turnovers, but the Ravens had the edge in that department Saturday. Baltimore recovered three of its own fumbles and had two big takeaways.
“We didn’t control the run game. We never did. When you don’t, you’ve got to do some splash plays or win the turnover battle in a significant way, and we didn’t do that either,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “There were some balls on the ground that we didn’t get. Then obviously we turned the ball over going in -- it took seven points off the board -- and they had a pick-6. The rest is history, as they say.”
Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 9-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Wilson answered with a 1-yard scoring pass to MyCole Pruitt, and the Steelers appeared poised to take the lead when the veteran quarterback broke loose for a 19-yard run in Baltimore territory.
But Ar'Darius Washington delivered a punishing hit on Wilson at the end of that play, jarring the ball loose. Kyle Van Noy recovered for the Ravens at the Baltimore 4.
The Ravens then drove 96 yards and took a 14-7 lead on Jackson's 14-yard touchdown toss to Rashod Bateman.
Wilson threw a 12-yard TD to Cordarrelle Patterson to tie it in the third.
Jackson set a team record with his 37th touchdown pass of the season, and he's now up to a career high of 3,787 yards.
Ravens receiver Zay Flowers had five catches for 100 yards, surpassing 1,000 on the season.
Henry has exceeded 1,500 yards rushing for the fourth time. He's now up to 1,636, a mark he's only surpassed once — in his 2,027-yard campaign of 2020.
Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. injured his calf, and WR Ben Skowronek hurt his hip. ... Baltimore RB Justice Hill left the game because of a concussion.
Both teams play on Christmas Day to wrap up stretches of three games in 11 days. Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City on Wednesday and Baltimore plays at Houston.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, left, gestures while scrambling against Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Broderick Washington during the first half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) celebrates with wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers reacts after making a catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry runs with the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry busts a long run against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson (84) catches a touchdown pass as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks to an official during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, and wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) react after connecting for a touchdown pass and catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) celebrates his pick-6 interception score with teammates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, bottom right, hits the turf as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, left, returns an interception for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
