F1 Q&A: Can Norris still narrow gap to win Championship?

McLaren's Lando Norris took a commanding triumph astatine nan Dutch Grand Prix to trim Max Verstappen's lead astatine nan apical of nan Drivers' Championship to 70 points pinch 9 races to go.

BBC F1 analogous Andrew Benson answers your questions pursuing nan title astatine Zandvoort.

How realistic do you deliberation Lando Norris’ chances are of clearing nan 70-point shortage to triumph nan Championship? I personally deliberation it’s impossible. Damian

Lando Norris said aft winning nan Dutch Grand Prix that it was “pretty stupid” to deliberation correct now astir beating Max Verstappen to nan Championship and that he was conscionable going to attraction connected each title arsenic it comes.

It’s a long-shot, of course, pinch a 70-point shortage and only 9 races to go, arsenic good arsenic 3 ‘sprint’ events. But if Norris keeps driving arsenic he did successful Zandvoort, it’s do-able. Just.

To make it happen, Norris needs to support beating Verstappen himself, and besides ideally for others to commencement doing truthful arsenic well. And for Verstappen to person a bad title aliases 2 - which, pinch Singapore coming up, wherever Red Bull struggled past year, is decidedly possible.

Norris and McLaren person a fewer things to robust retired - particularly starts and first laps. Norris has already perchance mislaid 2 title wins astatine nan commencement this year, successful Spain and Hungary, and though he managed to re-pass Verstappen aft losing retired again successful Zandvoort, he can’t count connected doing that each time.

Both Norris and McLaren squad main Andrea Stella addressed nan rumor of McLaren’s starts aft nan Dutch Grand Prix.

Both drivers mislaid places disconnected nan line, and Norris and Oscar Piastri seemed to commencement almost successful unison, which suggests a car/systems rumor successful this lawsuit alternatively than a driver one.

Stella and Norris some judge things request to improve. Norris said: “Again, it was a title which almost slipped distant disconnected nan line, but coming was, again, different to each different point that's happened.

"So, benignant of for illustration I said earlier nan weekend, we request to find a spot much consistency, but we've worked connected it and I consciousness for illustration I've done amended procedurally (this time), but evidently didn't move into nan correct thing.”

Stella said: “The commencement is specified a basal constituent to spell racing. It is arsenic important arsenic car performance. And we do person to look very cautiously into nan specifications astir why our competitor seems to summation a small spot connected us.

“Statistically complete nan people of nan season, we are competitory from a motorboat constituent of position but we spot that location are immoderate cars - for illustration Verstappen, for lawsuit - who look to beryllium performing very good astatine nan start. And if you tin capitalise a bully qualifying capacity pinch a bully start, it makes your life truthful overmuch easier.

“So we decidedly we person to look into this. And this comes from nan driver successful position of their motorboat process execution, and it comes from a squad constituent of position because location immoderate aspects that are nether nan team’s control. And we request to look into what benignant of optimisation we are capable to do.”

Is it complete for Logan Sargeant? Max

Logan Sargeant’s clip astatine Williams, and successful Formula 1, does so look to beryllium coming to an extremity - and he mightiness person already driven successful his past race.

The dense clang nan American had successful believe astatine nan Dutch Grand Prix seems to person been nan past straw for Williams squad main James Vowles. After it, Vowles went to speak to Mercedes squad main Toto Wolff and Red Bull’s Christian Horner astir nan readiness of immoderate of nan drivers connected their roster.

At Mercedes, that intends either their protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is expected to switch Lewis Hamilton successful Formula 1 adjacent season, aliases Mick Schumacher, nan erstwhile Haas driver who is now Mercedes reserve.

At Red Bull, it intends Liam Lawson, their reserve, who did 5 races arsenic a substitute for nan injured Daniel Ricciardo past year.

Wolff has ruled retired Antonelli, saying nan “best thing” for nan Italian, who will thrust for Mercedes successful first believe successful Monza this weekend, is to proceed pinch nan trial programme Mercedes person laid retired for him arsenic they hole him for F1, “rather than disrupting nan scheme and giving him nan opportunity pinch Williams. And that’s nan determination we person taken”.

Wolff would for illustration Schumacher to get nan seat. The German mislaid his spot successful F1 aft 2 unconvincing years pinch Haas, which included a batch of accidents.

But Wolff said: “I would very overmuch dream Mick gets nan chance because we haven’t seen nan existent Mick (in F1). You are not winning F4, F3 and F2 and past underperforming successful F1.

“He deserves a chance and if nan opportunity would look astatine Williams, it is thing we would beryllium cheering for. But it is James Vowles’ decision.”

Lawson’s readiness is analyzable by nan uncertainty complete Red Bull’s ain driver line-up.

Sergio Perez is not unafraid successful nan elder squad - he had different lacklustre title connected Sunday - and neither is Ricciardo astatine RB. Either could beryllium replaced by Lawson earlier nan extremity of nan season, truthful Horner whitethorn not beryllium keen to merchandise nan New Zealander for each of nan remaining races.

Franco Colapinto, who is connected nan Williams improvement programme and is racing successful Formula 2 this year, is different sanction who has been mentioned but is considered an extracurricular bet.

Which squad is astir apt to threat up nan services of Adrian Newey adjacent year, aliases will Newey himself person a penchant successful precocious stages of his career? Srinivasan

This is 1 of nan astir absorbing topics successful F1 - and 1 of nan astir uncertain.

When Newey announced he was leaving Red Bull, a number of teams seemed to beryllium successful nan moving to motion him. But these person gradually fallen by nan wayside.

First, it became clear that Ferrari was not going to happen. Then McLaren Racing main executive serviceman Zak Brown said they were not going to return him.

Aston Martin person made him an offer, which Newey is evaluating. Williams, wherever Newey achieved his first successes successful F1 from 1991-96, person expressed their interest. And Alpine person now entered nan race.

Newey is said to person had beautiful extended talks pinch Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore.

The 65-year-old is still believed to beryllium evaluating his options.

Why isn’t nan Dutch GP instantly sold out? It’s measurement cheaper than Silverstone and nan statement has been non-stop each weekend. Dan

The charismatic attendance crossed nan play of nan Dutch Grand Prix this twelvemonth was 305,000, nan aforesaid arsenic past year.

The title is very celebrated pinch Dutch fans - it is, arsenic you say, reminiscent of a title successful nan mediate of an all-day formation party, pinch location euphony playing throughout. But nan inclement upwind - rainfall and precocious winds - seemed to impact attendance connected Frday and Saturday.

It is connected nan almanac for 2025. But location is simply a interest arsenic to whether liking tin proceed to beryllium sustained. And location is talk of nan arena being rotated pinch different races successful nan future.

This could beryllium Barcelona, which has mislaid its spot from 2026 to nan caller title successful Madrid. Or possibly Imola, which is simply a target to beryllium dropped arsenic nan 2nd title successful Italy.

The Belgian Grand Prix, which had antecedently been considered a campaigner for rotation, is aiming for a caller semipermanent statement - 4 of 5 years - contingent connected improvements being made successful infrastructure and postulation management.

Why can’t they springiness 3 points for nan fastest thigh aliases moreover 5 points? Would beryllium much breathtaking and interesting? Steve

F1 is ever reasoning astir imaginable changes to nan athletics to make it much interesting, but these are balanced against a desire not to pollute nan sport’s basal principle and spirit.

The constituent for fastest thigh was arguable erstwhile it was introduced, and remains truthful to an extent. It tin beryllium a cardinal portion of nan title - Lando Norris made rather a connection by completing it connected tyres that were 43 laps aged connected Sunday, and it could beryllium important successful nan championship.

At nan aforesaid time, it is besides unfastened to being ‘gamed’ by a apical squad which has a large lead complete a car behind, truthful tin make a ‘free’ pit extremity pinch a driver towards nan extremity to container nan point.

The emotion is that 1 constituent for it is OK, but to springiness much would beryllium a spot excessively “showbizzy”.

Would F1 see moving distant from nan FIA and successful peculiar their stewarding of races? Some of nan penalties fixed are erratic astatine best. Paul

Relations betwixt F1 - basically, commercialized authorities holders Liberty Media - and nan FIA, nan sport’s governing body, person been rocky successful caller years.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is simply a arguable fig and F1 person surely not been happy astir immoderate of nan situations surrounding nan FIA successful caller times.

These see nan emergence of historical misogynistic remarks by Sulayem, his interference successful various rules issues, allegations of manipulating races - of which he has been cleared by an FIA investigation - and nan conflict of liking enquiry that nan concisely FIA launched into Toto and Susie Wolff precocious past year. Susie Wolff, head of nan F1 Academy, has launched a ineligible action against nan FIA complete that, and that lawsuit is ongoing.

There person decidedly been times successful nan past fewer years erstwhile Liberty has considered nan thought of going it unsocial without nan FIA.

This would beryllium complicated, though, because nan FIA owns nan authorities to nan F1 world championship; Liberty simply lease them. A breakaway would mean a caller name, for starters.

But relations person thawed successful caller months and astatine nan infinitesimal nan 2 organisations are rubbing on reasonably well.

They are moving together to fine-tune nan 2026 rules, for example, astir which nan teams instantly expressed concerns erstwhile nan FIA published them successful June.