F1 Q&A: Are there problems between drivers and the FIA?

McLaren's Lando Norris converted rod presumption to a contention triumph successful a ascendant show astatine the Singapore Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished second, is present 52 points up of Norris with six races remaining successful the season.

With a third-place decorativeness for Oscar Piastri, McLaren extended their constructors title pb to 41 points.

BBC F1 analogous Andrew Benson answers your questions aft the contention successful Marina Bay.

The censure Max Verstappen has got for swearing, and Lewis Hamilton's comments connected stereotypical language, does this amusement problems betwixt drivers and the FIA? – John

Without question, yes.

On Saturday, erstwhile Verstappen staged his protest against the punishment by giving minimalist answers successful the authoritative FIA quality conference, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton made it wide they thought the punishment was wrong.

On Sunday, aft helium did the aforesaid happening - and again spoke to the written media distant from the FIA quality league country - Verstappen made it wide the drivers backed him arsenic a group.

"Yeah, for sure," helium said. "Of course, I wrote successful the GPDA [WhatsApp chat] the ruling, and everyone was astir laughing like, 'What the hellhole is that?' basically. So, yeah, it is very, precise silly."

And present Alex Wurz, the president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, has said helium believes the punishment was excessive too.

Wurz drew parallels with erstwhile Haas squad main Guenther Steiner, who became celebrated for swearing profusely connected the Netflix Drive To Survive bid - and has been celebrated for it.

"How galore beingness assemblage services would Guenther Steiner person to service for utilizing the F-word? He was glorified for utilizing the F-word," helium said.

"Netflix broadcast this worldwide, nary problem. But past to abruptly alteration similar that?

"I person to say, [the prime of words] is not my idiosyncratic sensation arsenic a driver. As GPDA chairman, I person to officially accidental that we will, of course, sermon it internally, archetypal scope a afloat consensus, and past we volition see whether and successful what signifier we volition speech to the FIA and the president."

It's important to accidental present that, wrong F1, determination are antithetic views connected this.

Verstappen, on with galore of his colleagues, feels not being capable to curse occasionally successful a quality league denies drivers of the quality to beryllium authentic.

Others, though, portion feeling the FIA has not handled this good astatine all, judge determination is simply a clip and a spot for these things.

Swearing implicit the squad vigor portion successful the car is understandable, adjacent to beryllium expected, they feel. But equally, determination is an anticipation drivers should beryllium alert of the sensitivities of broadcasting and measurement their connection successful forums erstwhile the adrenaline is not moving truthful high.

There is simply a wider issue, though. This each started from an interrogation done by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, successful which helium said helium wanted F1 to bounds swearing connected TV broadcasts.

His connection successful the interrogation angered Lewis Hamilton, who called it "stereotypical" and said it had a "racial element". Ben Sulayem's wide statement annoyed the drivers, which is astir apt wherefore Verstappen swore successful the archetypal quality league - to marque a point.

Many questioned wherefore Ben Sulayem was wading into an country that, technically, has thing to bash with him - TV is the work of the F1 commercialized rights holder, Liberty Media.

Throughout F1, determination is wide discomfort astatine the mode Ben Sulayem conducts himself, and the ample fig of controversies successful which helium has recovered himself progressive during his tenure.

Should Red Bull beryllium allowed to usage RB to strategically instrumentality the fastest thigh and 1 constituent from Lando Norris? Isn't this an unfair advantage? – Matt

The archetypal happening to accidental present is that we don't cognize whether Red Bull Racing had thing to bash with this, adjacent if galore - including McLaren - had their suspicions.

RB said the determination to telephone Daniel Ricciardo successful for caller tyres to spell for the fastest thigh astatine the extremity of the Singapore Grand Prix was made due to the fact that they were alert helium mightiness beryllium dropped for Liam Lawson earlier the adjacent contention successful the United States.

"If it was to beryllium his past race, we wanted him to spell retired connected a high," a spokesperson said.

Ricciardo gave antithetic messaging - helium was good alert his actions helped Red Bull's Verstappen by taking a constituent disconnected his rubric rival.

"I conjecture it [could] assistance Max retired by Abu Dhabi, truthful possibly determination is simply a Christmas contiguous coming if helium wins by a point," helium added.

Verstappen, likewise, said helium had to "thank" Ricciardo.

At McLaren, meanwhile, determination was definite discontent. McLaren Racing president Zak Brown has been raising concerns astir the narration betwixt Red Bull and their 2nd squad for immoderate time, due to the fact that of concerns it could beryllium utilized to make an vantage for 1 oregon the different successful immoderate way.

And this is 1 illustration of however that could happen.

McLaren squad main Andrea Stella chose his words cautiously aft the race.

"I did not spot it coming," helium said. "I was a small amazed that the highest precedence of Racing Bulls' racing successful Singapore was to spell and people the fastest thigh of the race.

"At the aforesaid time, I person truthful overmuch sympathy, enactment and relationship with Daniel that I americium conscionable blessed that helium whitethorn adhd this fastest thigh to his way record."

It was pointed retired to Stella this could perchance travel nether the statement of unsportsmanlike behaviour, which is forbidden successful the sporting codification and tin pb to penalties.

He added: "Look, this is simply a large matter. As soon arsenic you impact sportsmanship, you request to attack this with a consciousness of work that I privation to have.

"I don't cognize the facts. I conscionable saw Racing Bulls went for the fastest thigh and they achieved it. To speech astir sportsmanship present would beryllium retired of place.

"We person to instrumentality it astatine look value."

But helium did accidental helium wanted discussions betwixt stakeholders connected the wide taxable of relationships betwixt teams.

"Potentially arsenic portion of a longer word conversation, we person to enactment the athletics successful a presumption successful which astatine immoderate stage, being it trackside oregon being it mill side, teams behave successful a wholly autonomous manner, due to the fact that this is simply a constructors' championship, a drivers' championship," said Stella. "It's not a conjugation championship.

"Therefore this needs to beryllium decidedly addressed but astatine nary constituent I person elements present to accidental Racing Bulls went for the fastest thigh to enactment Red Bull. I conscionable find it a small peculiar."

Given McLaren has been fastest for astir of the season, if Verstappen does clasp the rubric however would this accomplishment comparison to Alain Prost successful 1986? – Ross

This question is simply a notation to Alain Prost winning the 1986 rubric for McLaren portion facing Williams drivers Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, whose car was mostly faster.

It is held up arsenic 1 of the large seasons by a driver, and rightfully so.

Whether it is the lone - oregon adjacent the champion illustration - of a operator outperforming his car's capabilities implicit a play is simply a antithetic question.

In 2012, for example, the Ferrari was lone the 4th fastest car connected average, and yet Fernando Alonso kept the rubric combat going to the last contention - and was highly unlucky to suffer retired to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

In fact, helium lone did truthful due to the fact that helium was taken retired done nary responsibility of his ain successful 2 races successful the 2nd fractional of the season, by Lotus operator Romain Grosjean successful a start-line clang successful Belgium, and erstwhile the beforehand helping of Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus punctured Alonso's rear tyre astatine the archetypal country successful Japan.

There is nary uncertainty Verstappen is driving an outstanding play successful 2024, but whether it is the aforesaid benignant of concern arsenic Prost successful 1986 oregon Alonso successful 2012 is questionable. Even if galore would reason Verstappen could beryllium an adjacent amended operator than either.

For a start, the Red Bull was without uncertainty the fastest car - by a mile - implicit the archetypal 5 races of the season. That was ne'er the lawsuit for Prost nor Alonso.

And the assertion successful the question that this year's McLaren has been the fastest car "for astir of the season" is besides questionable.

Over the archetypal half, the Red Bull was the fastest car successful qualifying connected mean by 0.230 seconds. Verstappen won 7 of the archetypal 10 races, and took the archetypal 7 poles successful a row. Remember too, that Verstappen was dominating Austria earlier his precocious pit halt went wrong, allowing Norris to drawback up.

And portion the McLaren whitethorn person been a lucifer for it successful galore races from Miami onwards, it was seldom demonstrably, evidently faster.

Since Hungary, though, McLaren person decidedly had an vantage connected balance. Their mean qualifying vantage implicit Red Bull since past is 0.213secs. And implicit the people of the season, Red Bull's mean vantage successful qualifying is present down to 0.1secs.

But let's not hide Verstappen qualified connected rod successful Belgium and astir apt would person won determination had helium not had a grid punishment for utilizing excessively galore engines.

Having said each that, Verstappen has decidedly maximised the imaginable of his car implicit the season, operating astatine a consistently precocious level, successful a mode Norris has not. After the contention connected Sunday, the Briton himself admitted: "I've paid the terms for not doing a bully capable occupation astatine times."

And, close now, if you were to bash a straw canvass successful F1 arsenic to who has had the amended season, I'm beauteous definite astir would accidental Verstappen, and that helium would truthful beryllium a much deserving victor of the title.

But determination are inactive six races to go. So let's spot wherever however things look astatine the extremity of the campaign.

If Mercedes motion Verstappen for 2026 and with Andrea Kimi Antonelli successful the car for 2025, what volition this mean for George Russell successful 2026? - Leigh

Lots of "ifs" successful that question, starting with whether Verstappen volition permission Red Bull for Mercedes astatine the extremity of adjacent season.

He is contracted to Red Bull until the extremity of 2028, but BBC Sport understands determination are mechanisms wrong his declaration that would let him to permission successful definite circumstances.

If helium chose to bash so, Mercedes had seemed the astir apt destination for Verstappen - they had talks successful the summertime astir a determination for 2025, and Toto Wolff says helium is keeping an "open" transmission of connection with the Verstappens.

But present Adrian Newey is moving to Aston Martin - who volition besides person Honda engines successful 2026 - mightiness that beryllium astatine slightest arsenic tempting an accidental for aft Alonso's declaration expires successful 2026? It could good be.

Were Verstappen to spell to Mercedes successful 2026, evidently 1 of Russell oregon Antonelli would person to determination on.

That would enactment Wolff successful rather the quandary. Would helium simply take the operator who had the champion play successful 2025? Well, Wolff says helium expects that to beryllium Russell, fixed Antonelli, 18, is truthful young and would beryllium successful lone his archetypal season.

But it would besides mean Wolff giving up connected a operator helium has nurtured since helium was 11. Would helium bash that?

One tin spot wherefore it mightiness beryllium Antonelli who was kept on. But if Russell needs to find a seat, helium won't beryllium abbreviated of options. Red Bull, for a start, would person a vacancy, and helium would beryllium close astatine the apical of their list.

Why are today's cars truthful overmuch much reliable than they were successful the precocious 80s, aboriginal 90s? – Clare

It's a operation of factors. Back successful the 1980s, erstwhile each cars were unreliable, by hold it mattered little if 1 peculiar team's was, arsenic it would mostly adjacent retired by the extremity of the season.

But past definite teams started gathering successful bullet-proof reliability - starting with Ferrari successful the aboriginal 2000s - and truthful everyone other had to travel suit.

And earlier long, reliability was a cardinal origin successful championships - conscionable inquire Newey, whose McLaren cars suffered for Mercedes unreliability implicit a fig of seasons, portion Ferrari were dominating, and again successful 2005.

As exertion improved, power and monitoring of components became easier. So knowing that parts were reliable - and however to marque them truthful - became easier.

A fig of rules person changed, too, principally connected the ground of limiting costs, which has further biased F1 towards reliability - specified arsenic the bounds connected the fig of engines allowed per play and truthful on.

And connected apical of that, determination is an representation question. Major manufacturers don't similar their products to beryllium seen to neglect connected specified a monolithic planetary stage, truthful they effort to marque definite they don't.