You’ve got to hand it to Petrobras, they are a real team player.

With Brazil facing the prospect of having no countrymen lining up on the Formula 1 starting grid in the world’s most famous racing category for the first time since 1970, the state-run oil giant stepped up to the plate.

Petrobras has signed a technical partnership with English team McLaren that will see the Rio de Janeiro-based oil giant supplying fuel and lubricants for its F1 cars, with the two sides potentially sharing technologies.