The certainty of a major policy shift means there is bemusement in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) about why Sir Keir Starmer's government has tied itself in knots over whether to describe an earlier plan to hit 3% of GDP by the 2030s as an ambition or a commitment, when it is about to change. The problem is seen as political, with the prime minister needing to balance warfare against welfare - more money for bombs and bullets or for winter fuel payments and childcare. Follow live updates: Does the UK need an 'Iron Dome' system? Sir Keir is due to hold a discussion to decide on the defence spending target as early as today, it is understood. As well as a rise in pure defence spending of 3.5% by 2035, he will also likely be forced to commit a further 1.5% of GDP to defence-related areas such as spy agencies and infrastructure. Militaries need roads, railway networks, and airports to deploy at speed. This would bolster total broader defence spending to 5% - a target Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, wants all allies to sign up to at a major summit in the Netherlands later this month. It is being referred to as the "Hague investment plan". Asked what would happen at the summit, a defence source said: "3.5% without a doubt." Yet the prime minister reiterated the 3% ambition when he published a major defence review on Monday that placed "NATO first" at the heart of UK defence policy. The defence source said: "How can you have a defence review that says NATO first and then be among the last of the alliance's 32 member states - along with countries like Spain - to back this new goal?" Unlike Madrid, London presents itself as the leading European nation in the alliance. A British commander is always the deputy supreme allied commander in Europe - the second most senior operational military officer - under an American commander, while the UK's nuclear weapons are committed to defending the whole of NATO. Even Germany, which has a track record of weak defence spending despite boasting the largest economy, has recently signalled it plans to move investment towards the 5% level, while Canada, also previously feeble, is making similar noises. The source signalled it was inconceivable the UK would not follow suit and said officials across Whitehall understand the spending target will rise to 3.5%. The source said it would be met by 2035, so three years later than the timeline Mr Rutte has proposed. Defence spending is currently at 2.3%. A second defence source said the UK has to commit to this spending target, "or else we can no longer call ourselves a leader within NATO". Read more:UK to build weapons factoriesRussian-linked hackers targeted MoD Sky News's political editor Beth Rigby challenged the prime minister on the discrepancy between his spending ambitions and those of his allies at a press conference on Monday. Sir Keir seemed to hint change might be coming. "Of course, there are discussions about what the contribution should be going into the NATO conference in two or three weeks' time," he said. "But that conference is much more about what sort of NATO will be capable of being as effective in the future as it's been in the last 80 years. It is a vital conversation that we do need to have, and we are right at the heart of that." New Sky News podcast launches on 10 June - The Wargame simulates an attack by Russia to test UK defences Mr Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, said last week he assumes alliance members will agree to a broad defence spending target of 5% of gross domestic product during the summit in The Hague on 24 and 25 June. NATO can only act if all member states agree. "Let's say that this 5%, but I will not say what is the individual breakup, but it will be considerably north of 3% when it comes to the hard spend [on defence], and it will be also a target on defence-related spending," the secretary general said. The call for more funding comes at a time when allies are warning of growing threats from Russia, Iran, and North Korea as well as challenges posed by China. But it also comes as European member states need to make NATO membership seem like a good deal for Donald Trump. The leaders of all allies will meet in The Hague for the two-day summit. 👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈 The US president has repeatedly criticised other member states for failing to meet a current target of spending 2% of national income on defence and has warned the United States would not come to the aid of any nation that is falling short. Since returning to the White House, he has called for European countries to allocate 5% of their GDP to defence. This is more than the 3.4% of GDP currently spent by the US. Mr Rutte is being credited with squaring away a new deal with Mr Trump in a meeting that would see allies increase their defence spending in line with the US president's wishes. The NATO chief is due to visit London on Monday, it is understood.

Jonathan Joss, 59, was found injured by police in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday evening. Officers tried to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The actor's husband claimed the gunman shouted "violent homophobic slurs" before opening fire, and that Joss had pushed him out the way to save his life. "He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other," alleged Tristan Kern de Gonzales on Facebook. He said the couple had previously faced harassment from neighbours, much of it "openly homophobic". Joss's husband said they had been checking for mail at his old home - which earlier this year burned down in a fire that killed their three dogs - when they noticed the skull of one of the animals in front of the property. He said they began "yelling and crying" and claimed they were approached by a man who threatened them with a gun. "We were standing side by side," said Mr Kern de Gonzales. "When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life." However, San Antonio police said it had found no evidence that the shooting was a hate crime. "Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," said a statement. A 56-year-old man, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has already been charged with murder. Joss is best known for voicing Native American character John Redcorn in cult show King Of The Hill, which ran for 13 series and more than 250 episodes from 1997 to 2009. He also had a recurring role in NBC's Parks And Recreation as tribal elder and casino owner Chief Ken Hotate. Read more from Sky News:Colorado suspect charged with 16 counts of attempted murderWhat did Elon Musk achieve at DOGE? A King Of The Hill reboot is due to start in August and Joss had been in Austin, Texas, for events promoting the comeback the day before he was killed. He posted a video on Instagram saying he was signing autographs at a comic book store, adding that he had already worked on four episodes of the revival. "The fans get to revisit King Of the Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it's a great show," he said in the video. The suspect is being held in a detention centre in San Antonio, but the lawyer representing him could not be traced as they were not listed in court records.

The certainty of a major policy shift means there is bemusement in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) about why Sir Keir Starmer's government has tied itself in knots over whether to describe an earlier plan to hit 3% of GDP by the 2030s as an ambition or a commitment, when it is about to change. The problem is seen as political, with the prime minister needing to balance warfare against welfare - more money for bombs and bullets or for winter fuel payments and childcare. Follow live updates: Does the UK need an 'Iron Dome' system? Sir Keir is due to hold a discussion to decide on the defence spending target as early as today, it is understood. As well as a rise in pure defence spending of 3.5% by 2035, he will also likely be forced to commit a further 1.5% of GDP to defence-related areas such as spy agencies and infrastructure. Militaries need roads, railway networks, and airports to deploy at speed. This would bolster total broader defence spending to 5% - a target Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, wants all allies to sign up to at a major summit in the Netherlands later this month. It is being referred to as the "Hague investment plan". Asked what would happen at the summit, a defence source said: "3.5% without a doubt." Yet the prime minister reiterated the 3% ambition when he published a major defence review on Monday that placed "NATO first" at the heart of UK defence policy. The defence source said: "How can you have a defence review that says NATO first and then be among the last of the alliance's 32 member states - along with countries like Spain - to back this new goal?" Unlike Madrid, London presents itself as the leading European nation in the alliance. A British commander is always the deputy supreme allied commander in Europe - the second most senior operational military officer - under an American commander, while the UK's nuclear weapons are committed to defending the whole of NATO. Even Germany, which has a track record of weak defence spending despite boasting the largest economy, has recently signalled it plans to move investment towards the 5% level, while Canada, also previously feeble, is making similar noises. The source signalled it was inconceivable the UK would not follow suit and said officials across Whitehall understand the spending target will rise to 3.5%. The source said it would be met by 2035, so three years later than the timeline Mr Rutte has proposed. Defence spending is currently at 2.3%. A second defence source said the UK has to commit to this spending target, "or else we can no longer call ourselves a leader within NATO". Read more:UK to build weapons factoriesRussian-linked hackers targeted MoD Sky News's political editor Beth Rigby challenged the prime minister on the discrepancy between his spending ambitions and those of his allies at a press conference on Monday. Sir Keir seemed to hint change might be coming. "Of course, there are discussions about what the contribution should be going into the NATO conference in two or three weeks' time," he said. "But that conference is much more about what sort of NATO will be capable of being as effective in the future as it's been in the last 80 years. It is a vital conversation that we do need to have, and we are right at the heart of that." New Sky News podcast launches on 10 June - The Wargame simulates an attack by Russia to test UK defences Mr Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, said last week he assumes alliance members will agree to a broad defence spending target of 5% of gross domestic product during the summit in The Hague on 24 and 25 June. NATO can only act if all member states agree. "Let's say that this 5%, but I will not say what is the individual breakup, but it will be considerably north of 3% when it comes to the hard spend [on defence], and it will be also a target on defence-related spending," the secretary general said. The call for more funding comes at a time when allies are warning of growing threats from Russia, Iran, and North Korea as well as challenges posed by China. But it also comes as European member states need to make NATO membership seem like a good deal for Donald Trump. The leaders of all allies will meet in The Hague for the two-day summit. 👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈 The US president has repeatedly criticised other member states for failing to meet a current target of spending 2% of national income on defence and has warned the United States would not come to the aid of any nation that is falling short. Since returning to the White House, he has called for European countries to allocate 5% of their GDP to defence. This is more than the 3.4% of GDP currently spent by the US. Mr Rutte is being credited with squaring away a new deal with Mr Trump in a meeting that would see allies increase their defence spending in line with the US president's wishes. The NATO chief is due to visit London on Monday, it is understood.

Verstappen and Russell collided with three laps remaining when battling for fourth, making contact at Turn Five, after the Red Bull driver had been told to let Russell through. The stewards gave Verstappen a 10-second time penalty for the incident, which dropped him from fifth to 10th, while also adding three penalty points on to his super licence - putting him one point away from an automatic race ban. Russell told Sky Sports F1 that the move "felt deliberate" and was "totally unnecessary" while 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg says Verstappen should have been "black flagged" for the incident. Max Verstappen one penalty point away from race ban after George Russell clashSpanish GP result | F1 championship standingsGot Sky? Watch F1 races LIVE on your phone! 📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 "We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the Safety Car came out," Verstappen wrote on Instagram. "Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn't have happened. "I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal." Horner added on social media: "The Safety Car came out at the worst possible time for our strategy. We had the choice to stay out on older tyres or take the gamble with a new set of hard tyres. "Hindsight is always 20/20, but we made the best decision at the time with the information we had. The result that followed was frustrating as it was looking to be an easy podium for Max and good Championship points. "Max apologised in the debrief for his incident with Russell. The SC also hurt Yuki [Tsunoda's] race, he would've been very close if not in the points otherwise if you look at the trajectory he was on. "But that's racing. It can turn in a split second. It is one of the reasons we are all so captivated and in love with this sport. It was a tough weekend, but we will be busy working hard over the next weeks to make some set-up improvements to the car and come back strong in Montreal." Verstappen is now 49 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, who won the Spanish Grand Prix. The Dutchman, who eventually let Russell through later in the lap, was not keen to speak about the incident post-race. He told Sky Sports F1: "Does it matter? I prefer to speak about the race rather than one single moment." What led to Verstappen's clash with Russell? Verstappen was on course to finish third behind the two McLarens until a Safety Car for Kimi Antonelli's stricken Mercedes bunched the field together. Red Bull put Verstappen on hard tyres, since they had no other new tyres, whereas everyone else in the top 10 was on softs. Verstappen had a big snap of oversteer on the restart out of the last corner and was overtaken by Charles Leclerc, who briefly made contact with him. Russell also tried to get through at Turn 1 but the pair touched and Verstappen cut the chicane to keep fourth place. Red Bull told Verstappen to let Russell through, which appeared to anger the reigning world champion who was already frustrated. "On recent experience and looking at recent incidents, obviously it's subjective, you've asked for guidance from the FIA, from the referee, essentially there's nothing come back," said Horner after the race. "You can see that it's been reported. It's going to the stewards. It looked for all intents and purposes that it was going to be a penalty. "Therefore, the instruction was given to Max to give that place back, which he was obviously upset about and annoyed about because he felt that one: he'd been left no space and two: that George hadn't been fully in control. "After a conversation with his engineer, he elected to give the space back at Turn 5. There was contact between the two cars. "Obviously the stewards deemed that he caused a collision and got 10 seconds and some penalty points, unfortunately, which obviously was very frustrating because it leaves us with one point out of the afternoon, what should have been an easy podium." The 2025 Formula 1 season pauses for breath after the European triple-header before resuming live on Sky Sports F1 with the Canadian Grand Prix from June 13-15. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime.

The buzz of Freetown gives way to the hushed calm of this pocket of pristine rainforest reserved for critically endangered western chimpanzees rescued from across Sierra Leone. The quiet is necessary. These bright primates - closest related to humans in the animal kingdom - are easily disturbed and the ones living in Tacugama are particularly sensitive. The more than 120 chimpanzees brought here are traumatised survivors of mistreatment, hunting and violent separation from their families in the wild. They are now facing another existential threat. Illegal encroachment is eating away at the edges of the conservation area. Despite wildlife laws, forest has been cleared to make way for houses being constructed closer and closer to chimp enclosures. "We've been issuing several warnings over the last year," says Tacugama founder Bala Amarasekaran. "Four months ago - again - we gave a warning. Then we had presidential intervention say that some of this encroachment will be stopped. It started very well for the first month then everything stopped again and we are back at square one. So, we are very tired and very stressed." Thirty years ago, Mr Amarasekaran appealed to the government to donate land and partner with him to create a sanctuary for the protection of the abused orphaned chimps he was finding across Freetown. Today, land in the Western Area Forest Reserve is being grabbed right under the government's nose. "The government has been very good in terms of helping us in every way - however we expect the leadership to be more firm," says Mr Amarasekaran. "When we talk to them, they are all with us. They all want to help. But when it comes to action it looks like some of the departments that have the mandate to institute certain laws and take the necessary law enforcement action are not acting." Sanctuary closes its doors to focus on conservation, rehabilitation and research Tacugama has grown to become Sierra Leone's most popular tourist attraction over the last three decades. But in a stand against the fast-approaching illegal encroachment, the sanctuary has closed its doors to visitors to focus on conservation, rehabilitation and research. "It is not a tourist attraction - we made it become a tourist attraction. It is supposed to be an orphanage for rescued chimpanzees," Mr Amarasekaran says. "They are used to us and some visitors but they will start to see strangers come and that is where the problems start. They are not comfortable with strangers - don't forget it is the stranger who killed their mother. It is the stranger that wiped out their group." 'A complex problem' We asked Sierra Leone's government spokesperson and minister of information and civic education, Chernor Bah, about the illegal encroachment. "It is a complex problem. You have a city that is growing. People need places to stay and we have not done the best job in terms of enforcing all these limitations," he replied. "Some of our agents seem to have been complicit in allocating and giving people land in places they are not supposed to stay. So, I don't think I can sit here and say we have done enough - there is much more we can do. "[Tacugama] is probably our most cherished and significant wildlife asset in the country." A national symbol for tourism In 2019, the government designated the western chimpanzee as the national animal and national symbol for tourism. The image of a chimp is now etched in Sierra Leonean passports, a result of Tacugama's advocacy Mr Amarasekaran and his team hope will entrench a love and respect for chimps that will curb the need for intervention. "We wanted something more - that is how the national animal bill came through," says Mr Amarasekaran. "We thought if the agencies that are mandated to do all the law enforcement are not active and effective, then maybe we need to create a synergy between the people and the animals." Chimpanzees hunted for bushmeat But chimpanzees are still being hunted as bushmeat for food across Sierra Leone and baby chimps are being torn from their families to be kept as illegal pets. Tacugama's latest rescue is only eight months old. Baby Asana is frail with thinning hair and is being nursed back to health by his chimp mum, Mama P, when we meet him. He was rescued after an informant sent a video of Asana wearing human clothes and being mistreated as an illegal pet in Bo, Sierra Leone's second largest city. "For me as the founder of the sanctuary, I feel defeated," says Mr Amarasekaran with Asana being cared for behind him. "These chimps shouldn't be arriving here if we have done enough work outside - there shouldn't be any killings, there shouldn't be any rescues. That is the time when I can say that I achieved something." Research from the Jane Goodall Institute identified that between five and 10 chimpanzees die for every surviving rescued chimpanzee. And with the sanctuary closed, much-needed public advocacy work will take a hard hit. 'Until I came to the sanctuary, I didn't see a chimpanzee' "I'm really concerned because I only even started to experience chimpanzees when I started working here. I knew that we had chimps here. But until I came to the sanctuary, I didn't see a chimpanzee," says 25-year-old Tacugama communications officer, Sidikie Bayoh. "Now, we are at a situation where we are closed indefinitely but what if this becomes something wherein we can never open the sanctuary again for people to visit? Then you will have all these young Sierra Leoneans never fully understanding what their national animal is." The closure also means there will be no revenue from visitors at a time when USAID funding has been halted. "In the absence of funding from - at the moment - the US government, it is going to be difficult for us to turn around quickly," says Mr Amarasekaran. He then shrugs and smiles knowingly, adding: "We are very resilient - we are like chimpanzees. So, we will manage somehow."

While speculation of her reading capabilities circulates, the actress continues the challenging mountain of novels she has to get through in order to be a judge for the Booker Prize. The actress is part of a panel of judges for the literary award which announces the "Booker Dozen" of 12 or 13 books on 29 July, its shortlist on 23 September and the overall winner on 10 November. The winner receives £50,000. "I have one by my side now," Sarah Jessica tells Sky News during an interview for her show And Just Like That. "It's been hard these last two weeks because we've been promoting the show and I thought I would be able to read between interviews, but you can read two words. You can read these three sentences, so I'm feeling very anxious about how many books I have yet to read for our next deliberation," she says. The Sex And The City actress compares the workload to preparing to take an exam. "I've not ever felt this behind, including in high school. Like, I really am not entirely sure how I'm going to read the required amount of books by our next deliberation," she says. "I thought about this last night in bed, that even if I stay up every day and don't sleep, I might not make it. So I'm not sure how. I have to not make dinner for anybody, not do anybody's laundry. I have cut out all tasks. So we'll see. It's pretty fantastic, this burden is pretty wonderful." Turning to her spin-off series, she says she never paid much attention to the cultural impact Sex And The City had on portraying women in their 30s on screen without a rose-tinted lens. "I think we're just always wanting to tell interesting stories," she says. "And the rule in the writing room has been, for as long as I've known, the story can only be as far removed as one person from the writer, so every single story told has either happened to a writer or to a friend or family member or colleague of the writer." She says what makes it real is that the show deals with real moments that happen to women as they age, from children flying the nest to navigating the dating pool. "You don't flat line at 50 or 60. People are living pretty colourful, interesting, exciting lives and they have influence and authority. They're trying new things. They're leaving marriages. They're saying goodbye to kids. They're starting new jobs, they're leaving jobs, and they're getting married, they are widows, there's just endless amounts to talk about and it should be," she says. 'It is insane there aren't more shows like us' Her co-star Kristin Davis agrees and states her main hope for returning was to break certain taboos for women now in their 50s. "It is insane that there aren't more shows like us, you know? I'm hoping that there will be," she says. "It's very interesting that somehow women, especially at a certain age, you're just supposed to just vanish. I don't know where we're supposed to be and that just makes no sense." Sex And The City was 'incredibly white', says Cynthia Nixon For Cynthia Nixon, playing Miranda now as a lesbian character allowed the show to explore the challenges that face people coming out later in life and navigating the world they find themselves in. She says although Sex And The City broke taboos for white women in their 30s, she felt the original iteration of their show wasn't as reflective of the real world as it could have been. "The one thing that didn't really sit well with me in the past was how incredibly white the show was," she says. "So, I think to expand the universe of, you know, who gets to be centred in the show has been a tremendous boon. Whether you're talking about people of colour, whether you're talk about queer people, people of different ages. We used to have a wonderfully fascinating lens, but it was fairly narrow. "We've moved in our view of queer people… for so long, if you wanted to put a gay person on screen, one of the ways to make them palatable was to really emphasise their funniness and I think we have many very funny gay characters, but we're able to, I think, have a more well-rounded view of them." And Just Like That is available on Sky and NOW.

It described what might happen should a hostile state start a fight, saying this could include missile strikes against military sites and power stations across the UK, sabotage of railway lines and other critical infrastructure and attacks on the armed forces. Politics latest: Britain must be 'battle-ready', says PM In a devastating verdict on the state of Britain's defences, the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) said today's armed forces are "not currently optimised for warfare", with inadequate stockpiles of weapons, poor recruitment and crumbling morale. "The international chessboard has been tipped over," a team of three experts that led the review wrote in a foreword to their 140-page document. "In a world where the impossible today is becoming the inevitable tomorrow, there can be no complacency about defending our country." Sir Keir Starmer, who commissioned the review, described a "new era" of threat that required a "new era for defence and security". "Every part of society, every citizen of this country, has a role to play because we have to recognise that things have changed," the prime minister said. The review made a list of more than 60 recommendations to enable the UK to "pivot to a new way of war". They include: Increasing the size of the army by 3,000 soldiers to 76,000 troops in the next parliament. The review also aims to boost the "lethality" of the Army ten-fold, using drones and other technology.A 20% expansion in volunteer reserve forces but only when funding permits and likely not until the 2030s.Reviving a force of tens of thousands of veterans to fight in a crisis. The government used to run annual training for the so-called Strategic Reserve in the Cold War but that no longer happens.Embracing new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robots and lasers. The paper said the UK must develop ways to defend against emerging threats such as biological weapons, warning of "pathogens and other weapons of mass destruction".The possibility of the UK buying warplanes that could carry American nuclear bombs to bolster the NATO alliance's nuclear capabilities. The review said: "Defence should commence discussions with the United States and NATO on the potential benefits and feasibility of enhanced UK participation in NATO's nuclear mission."The expansion of a cadet force of children by 30% and offering a "gap year" to people interested in sampling military life.New investment in long-range weapons, submarines, munitions factories and cyber warfare capabilities. General Sir Richard Barrons, part of the review team and a former senior military officer, described the vision as "the most profound change" to UK defences in 150 years. But there were some notable gaps - likely caused by limited finances. This includes only a brief mention of bolstering the UK's ability to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles - a key weakness but one that would be very expensive to fix. Earlier, Sir Keir said the review was a "blueprint to make Britain safer and stronger, a battle-ready armour-clad nation, with the strongest alliances and the most advanced capabilities, equipped for the decades to come". Defence Secretary John Healey, writing in a foreword to the document, said "up to" £1bn would be invested in "homeland air and missile defence" as well as the creation of a new cyber and electromagnetic warfare command. The review was drawn up with the expectation that defence spending would rise to 2.5% of GDP this parliament - up from around 2.3% now - and then to 3% by 2034. The government has pledged to hit 2.5% by 2027 but is yet to make 3% a cast iron commitment. Read more:UK to build weapons factoriesRussian-linked hackers targeted MoD The reviewers said their recommendations could be delivered in 10 years if that spending target is reached but they gave a strong signal that they would like this to happen much sooner. "As we live in such turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster," the team said. "The plan we have put forward can be accelerated for either greater assurance or for mobilisation of defence in a crisis." The review described the threat posed by Russia as "immediate and pressing". It said China, by contrast, is a "sophisticated and persistent challenge". It pointed to Beijing's growing missile capability that can reach the UK and said the Chinese military's nuclear arsenal is expected to double to 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. The other two reviewers were Lord George Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary, and Fiona Hill, a Russia expert and former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump. 👉Search for The Wargame on your podcast app👈 The review team warned the post Cold War-era of relative peace has ended and a time of contest, tension and conflict has returned. Adding to the pressure, the US - by far the most powerful member of the NATO alliance - is focusing more on the threat it sees from China. "Changes in the strategic context mean that NATO allies may be drawn into war with - or be subject to coercion by - another nuclear armed state," the review said. "With the US clear that the security of Europe is no longer its primary international focus, the UK and European allies must step up their efforts". The review set out how defence is not only the responsibility of the armed forces because countries - not just the professional military - fight wars. It said: "Everyone has a role to play and a national conversation on how we do it is required… As the old saying goes, 'If you want peace, prepare for war'." Sky News and Tortoise will launch a new podcast series - The Wargame - on 10 June that simulates a Russian attack on the UK to test Britain's defences, with former ministers and military chiefs playing the part of the British government.

The major talking point going into the Barcelona weekend was whether McLaren would be negatively impacted by new, more stringent tests on front wings. McLaren appeared to be among the teams who exploited the advantages of flexi-wings, with Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur suggesting the rule change could prove a "gamechanger" for 2025's pecking order. Max Verstappen one penalty point away from race ban after George Russell clashF1 2025 Calendar | F1 championship standingsGot Sky? Watch F1 races LIVE on your phone! 📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 However, Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the front row for the first time since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, then converted it into a one-two on Sunday with Piastri taking his fifth win of the season. "There was a lot of complaints about our car, and they introduced this TD [Technical Directive] and changed nothing," said Norris, who is 10 points behind Piastri in the championship. "The team have done a very good job to just give us a good all-round car and the best car on the grid. So, we're very proud to be able to go and drive those cars every weekend. It's credit to the team that we have, to give day in and day out." Ferrari were one of the teams expected to benefit from the flexi-wing changes. Although Charles Leclerc took his second podium of the year, McLaren were still a long way clear of the field, apart from Max Verstappen who tried an alternative strategy. Lewis Hamilton criticised the updated regulations, which forced most teams to build new front wings, and said F1 "should be giving that money to charity". "The balance is definitely not as nice as what we had before. It hasn't made any [difference to the leaders]," added Hamilton. "What a waste of money, it's just wasted everyone's money. It's literally changed nothing. Everyone's bent wings still bend. "It's just half the bending, and everyone's had to make new wings, and spend more money to make these. It doesn't make any sense." Explaining the timing of the change from round nine onwards having concluded in the second half of last season that the front-wing tests required strengthening, the FIA's single seater director Nikolas Tombazis last week said: "We felt that if we had introduced extra tests at the start of this season, it would have been tough on teams and may have led to existing front wings being scrapped, and extra expense. "Therefore, we felt that deferred introduction was more sensible." Norris: McLaren are still vulnerable in qualifying McLaren are 197 points ahead of nearest challenger Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship after nine rounds. Verstappen is now 49 points adrift of Piastri in the Drivers' Championship after his controversial collision with George Russell, which resulted in a 10-second time penalty and dropped him to 10th. "This weekend, we were probably a bit quicker than we expected compared to Red Bull," said Piastri. "I think we thought they would be a really genuine threat this weekend. They were with us in the race, but more through strategy, I guess, than pure pace. "But it seemed like we had a little bit of an edge over them. So, I don't know. There will be other tracks where our competitors get closer. There's probably going to be some where they're further away. I hope there's more where they're further away than closer." Verstappen was three tenths slower than pole-sitter Piastri in qualifying, which was the biggest advantage McLaren have had over their rivals. Norris thinks one-lap pace is still an area where McLaren are "vulnerable" to the others. "I think people seem to quickly forget how close the other qualifying sessions have been," he said. "They've been split by hundredths and thousandths, and there hasn't been smooth sailing for us in every single one. So, I think that will be the case in future ones. "But it's clear we just have the best car on average, and we still seem stronger in the race. Although, it's clear that the others are catching up. Our gaps in the race were probably a lot bigger in the beginning of the year than they are now. "I do think that our competitors are catching up. But, we just need to keep our heads down and keep working hard." The 2025 Formula 1 season pauses for breath after the European triple-header before resuming live on Sky Sports F1 with the Canadian Grand Prix from June 13-15. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime.