McLaren the frontrunners in a tight title race, Hamilton reborn at Ferrari and Williams hoping for big things

Constructors’ champions last season, McLaren finished strongly and the winter has been productive. The MCL39 appears to have a genuine edge on a competitive field. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were circumspect about their car and it did demonstrate a spot of instability in the rear but their confidence on track has been palpable. They look to have taken the stable platform of last season and improved it with the long-run race simulations presenting a fearsome pace, even given all the usual caveats of fuel loads, temperatures and card-holding in testing. When off the leash for a burst of potentially qualifying pace it was impressive on the brief occasions McLaren opted to show their hand, Norris aborting one flying lap that would have set tongues wagging. That early show of pace has not gone unnoticed by the other teams, with Lewis Hamilton among others acknowledging that McLaren are set to be sharp from the off – the start Norris has long craved for a tilt at the title.

The Arsenal forward, once England’s key player, is only 30 but his confidence is shot and his career on a downward curve

In Rafa Benítez’s first season in English football, he rested Steven Gerrard for an FA Cup tie at Burnley, who were in the Championship. When Liverpool lost, there was a predictable backlash and, from certain quarters, derision as Benítez explained his rotation policy and the need to manage the number of minutes each player played.

Social media being in its infancy, it wasn’t quite the culture war that it would have become today, but certain old-school football men clearly felt that players should just get on with it: hard work never hurt anyone. But at the same time a piece of ancient wisdom kept surfacing, usually from elderly coaches who had spent a lifetime in the game: as a rule of thumb, however much they play, whatever age they start, a player has 500 games in them.

Manchester City are in a period of transition, requiring the new and the old to avoid an FA Cup shock at the hands of Plymouth Argyle. Academy graduate Nico O’Reilly scored two headers before the club’s most-decorated player Kevin De Bruyne ended the resistance.

Plymouth could not have done more as they fought to contain City, even taking a shock lead through Maksym Talovierov but a happy ending never looked likely. The Premier League champions were, however, made to toil by the well-drilled Pilgrims, who will rue conceding from two set-pieces.

King Charles to hold official audience for Ukrainian president as show of support after Trump clash

King Charles will hold an ­official audience at Sandringham with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as the UK and EU demonstrate their “unwavering” ­support after his humiliation at the hands of Donald Trump and JD Vance in the White House.

Keir Starmer will also host European heads of government and the leaders of Canada and Turkey at a special defence summit aimed at presenting a united front on the Ukraine crisis.

King Charles to hold official audience for Ukrainian president as show of support after Trump clash

King Charles will hold an ­official audience at Sandringham with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as the UK and EU demonstrate their “unwavering” ­support after his humiliation at the hands of Donald Trump and JD Vance in the White House.

Keir Starmer will also host European heads of government and the leaders of Canada and Turkey at a special defence summit aimed at presenting a united front on the Ukraine crisis.

Pontiff, 88, spends long periods off noninvasive ventilation, showing improving lung function as he battles pneumonia

Pope Francis remains in stable condition a day after a respiratory crisis, and has spent long periods off the noninvasive ventilation he initially needed, in a sign that his lung function was improving as he battles double pneumonia.

Francis had no further episodes of bronchial spasms, the Vatican said in its late update on Saturday. He had no fever and no signs of new infection, was feeding himself and continued his respiratory physiotherapy, the Vatican said.

The 88-year-old pope had a good response in his blood gas levels even during the “long periods” he was off the ventilator mask and only using high-flow supplemental oxygen. But his prognosis remained guarded, meaning he was not out of danger.

“The Holy Father is always vigilant” and aware of what was going on around him, the statement said, adding that he received the Eucharist and spent time in prayer.

The comparatively positive update came after Francis suffered a setback on Friday in his two-week battle against pneumonia.

Francis had a coughing fit in which he also inhaled vomit. Doctors aspirated the vomit and placed Francis on noninvasive mechanical ventilation, a mask that pumps oxygen into his lungs. Doctors said episode resulted in a “sudden worsening of the respiratory picture”.

The pope remained conscious and alert at all times and cooperated with the manoeuvres to help him recover.

The fact that Francis on Saturday was able to use just high-flow oxygen for long periods, without any significant effect on the levels of oxygen in his blood, was a sign his respiratory function was improving.

The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to Gemelli after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into pneumonia in both lungs.

The Vatican said the episode was different from the prolonged respiratory crisis on 22 February that was said to have caused Francis discomfort. Doctors not involved in Francis’s care said it was particularly alarming given his existing lung disease and fragility.

Types of noninvasive ventilation include a BiPAP machine, which helps people breathe by pushing air into their lungs. Doctors will often try such a machine for a while to see if the patient’s blood gas levels improve so they can go back to using oxygen alone. Friday’s statement said Francis showed a “good response” to the gas exchange using the mechanical ventilation.

Doctors did not resume referring to Francis being in “critical condition”, which has been absent from their statements for four days now. But they said he was not out of danger, given the complexity of his case.