F1 Q&A: Which grands prix are under threat?

Formula 1 is taking its summertime break, but our analogous Andrew Benson is still answering your questions...

Read connected for Andrew's answers astir which F1 races mightiness driblet disconnected nan almanac and whether teams should sacrifice this twelvemonth and 2025 to hole for nan caller regulations successful 2026.

Is location immoderate caller state that is being earnestly considered for holding a expansive prix? If it is, which expansive prix is astir vulnerable? - Park

Thailand and South Korea are some nether superior information for a date. And F1 is keen to clasp a title successful Africa. Attempts to find an statement to return to Kyalami successful South Africa foundered a mates of years ago, but F1 president Stefano Domenicali says he is evaluating a “serious” bid from Rwanda., external

The evident title to autumn disconnected nan almanac would beryllium nan Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, arsenic nan 2nd arena successful Italy.

But location has besides been talk of rotating immoderate of nan European races - for example, Belgium and nan Netherlands taking it successful turns to big twelvemonth to year.

And Canada is nether superior threat moreover for adjacent twelvemonth because nan organisation is considered to person fallen beneath standards successful caller years, and Montreal is nether unit to amended that.

Even Silverstone needs to beryllium observant - it was nan segment of postulation chaos again this year, bringing backmost bad memories from nan past. There were problems leaving nan way connected some Friday and Sunday, and galore elder F1 figures and media were caught up successful jams for hours.

F1 was not happy astatine all, and wants to make judge that does not hap again.

We perceive a batch astir nan "track rubbering in", but what precisely is this? And why does it look to amended truthful overmuch successful nan past fewer laps of Q3? - Ian

"Rubbering in" is erstwhile rubber from nan tyres is laid connected nan racing statement by cars driving connected it. So, arsenic nan tyres deterioration down, that rubber sticks to nan track.

Because rubber sticks to rubber amended than it does to stone, this gives nan way much grip. And nan much cars tally connected it, nan grippier it gets.

That's 1 logic why thigh times amended done qualifying. As nan cars do much and much laps, much rubber goes down, and nan cars person much grip. This is what drivers and teams mean by "the way sewage faster/improved".

But location are different reasons nan times travel down done qualifying. For example, nan drivers get faster, too, arsenic they hone their attack and get person to nan cleanable lap, and return much risks to effort for nan champion grid position.

Do teams activity drivers pinch akin styles for consistency, aliases different ones to research varied car improvement pathways? - Chris

A squad would hardly ever facet successful driver penchant successful position of style and car-handling successful their choices complete who to sign. They are chiefly looking for nan quickest driver they tin find.

Occasionally, different factors travel into play, specified arsenic squad harmony.

For example, nan anticipation of soul clash is 1 of nan reasons Red Bull shied distant from signing Carlos Sainz alongside Max Verstappen for 2025, moreover though he was evidently nan astir competitory driver available. Whether Sergio Perez ends up keeping his spot aft a bid of anemic races - either for nan remainder of this season, aliases into adjacent twelvemonth - is simply a different matter.

Another decisive facet would beryllium money - particularly for smaller teams. Second drivers astatine back-of-the-grid teams often person to travel pinch sponsorship that benefits nan team's bottommost statement to unafraid their position.

And past location is nan business astatine Aston Martin, wherever Lance Stroll is successful nan car because his begetter owns nan team.

With nan section apt to displacement astir successful 2026, should teams for illustration Ferrari aliases McLaren sacrifice this twelvemonth and 2025 and attraction connected 2026 to win? - Liam

All teams are wrestling pinch nan trade-off betwixt 2025 and 2026, and person been for immoderate time.

The 2026 regulations are specified a monolithic alteration - pinch caller rules for some chassis and motor - that teams will inevitably person to equilibrium assets betwixt nan 2 projects.

They are helped successful this by nan truth nan FIA has forbidden teams from starting activity connected nan aerodynamics of their 2026 cars until 1 January 2025. But location is still a upland of activity to do connected nan structural and mechanical aspects earlier then.

There is nary logic why McLaren aliases Ferrari should beryllium singled out, though. McLaren are a front-running squad - arguably nan front-running squad - and Ferrari tin ne'er spend not to beryllium competitive.

Neither is apt to wholly wantonness their 2025 projects erstwhile they are successful that situation. McLaren judge they tin beryllium world champions adjacent year.

The teams much apt to do that would beryllium further down nan grid, who are uncompetitive but spot 2026 arsenic an opportunity to move forward, specified arsenic Williams, Alpine, Haas and Sauber.

For Sauber, 2026 is particularly important because that's nan twelvemonth they morph officially into nan Audi mill team.

Of course, nan apical teams will besides beryllium moving to guarantee they are successful arsenic competitory a position arsenic imaginable for 2026. But that doesn’t mean abandoning this twelvemonth aliases next.