The Latest Breaking News from Andrea Stella

The Woking-based squad announced this week that it has extended Oscar Piastri’s deal until the end of 2026, which means attention has now shifted to the future of its other driver Norris, whose deal runs until 2025.

According to F1’s sporting regulations, McLaren still had to fulfil its commitment to run a second rookie in an FP1 session later this year.

Construction work around the final sector of the Marina Bay city circuit means four of the characteristic 90-degree turns have been ditched. The replacement, a longer back straight, will ease the strain on the rear tyres. That could leave the door open for Ferrari in qualifying.

Last year, F1 switched to ground-effect-based cars which are set up extremely stiff to generate the most downforce. That set-up had the unintended side-effect of porpoising on most cars, with drivers bouncing violently on the straights.