McLaren arrive at the Singapore Grand Prix in a difficult position after a tough stretch of races. Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the MCL40 regressed following recent development work, and the team took the blame for a ongoing flaw affecting Lando Norris.

Norris called out a straight-line speed deficit as a real concern and said he was not confident the team could fix it before Marina Bay.

A tyre strategy call during the Malaysian Grand Prix, which saw Oscar Piastri pitted under controversial conditions, was later called out as an incorrect judgement. Singapore's narrow, technical layout is considered a bad match for the current car, making things harder for McLaren heading into the race weekend.