If Verstappen wins title, who will be best of the rest?

The Formula 1 play resumes pinch this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, nan first of 10 races that stay successful this year's calendar.

Our F1 analogous Andrew Benson answers your questions going into nan title astatine Zandvoort...

Assuming Max Verstappen’s existent lead is unassailable, who is apt to extremity up arsenic champion of nan remainder – Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz aliases Lewis Hamilton? - Richard

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has a 78-point title lead complete his closest challenger, McLaren’s Lando Norris, pinch 10 races to spell this season, starting astatine this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.

So, yes, Verstappen is successful a very beardown position to declare a 4th world title, moreover though he has not won a title since nan Spanish Grand Prix successful June. Norris would person to claw backmost an mean of astir 8 points a title from now connected to hit him.

On McLaren’s existent form, that’s possible, but it’s not thing Norris has looked for illustration doing truthful far, partially done his ain errors and partially done Verstappen’s outstanding consistency.

Norris is 22 points up of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, 32 successful beforehand of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, 37 successful beforehand of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and 49 up of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

What makes this 2nd half of nan play truthful absorbing - from a drivers’ and constructors’ title constituent of position - is nan complaint of scoring of each these drivers.

In nan 5 races from Spain to nan summertime break aft Belgium, nan highest scoring driver was Hamilton, who took 95 points, including wins successful Britain and Belgium.

Then it’s Piastri pinch 86 and Verstappen pinch 83, past Norris (68), Sainz (54) and Leclerc (39).

Ferrari would request a important turnaround successful shape for Leclerc and Sainz to feature. But Piastri and Hamilton are evidently a threat to Norris if that complaint continues.

The constructors’ title is wide open, pinch McLaren only 42 points down Red Bull and Sergio Perez’s shape causing nan world champions problems.

If Perez does not up his game, his spot remains susceptible despite Red Bull’s announcement aft Belgium that he would proceed into nan 2nd portion of nan season.

Mercedes are fourth, 100 points down McLaren, rather a separator to make up. But aft winning 3 of nan past 4 races, they look eminently tin of closing nan 79-point spread to Ferrari for 3rd overall.

Why do we now person truthful galore thoroughfare circuits wherever it is truthful difficult to overtake? Monaco is nan number 1 illustration of this – Alexis

Out of 24 races this season, 7 are held connected thoroughfare circuits - Saudi Arabia, Australia, Monaco, Canada, Azerbaijan, Singapore and Las Vegas. It’s 8 if you count Miami, which is simply a impermanent circuit constructed connected nan onshore astir nan Hard Rock Stadium.

They are rather different successful character, and by nary intends each are tracks wherever overtaking is difficult.

Monaco is notorious, of course. And Singapore is besides a reliable way for passing, moreover aft nan changes introduced past twelvemonth to re-route nan layout astir building work.

Racing has improved successful Melbourne’s Albert Park since nan chicane connected nan tally from Turn Six to nan accelerated chicane was removed, moreover if overtaking is still astatine a premium.

But that’s three.

There is nary awesome rumor pinch racing successful Jeddah, Miami, Montreal and Baku - indeed, Canada and Azerbijan often nutrient action-packed grands prix. And while Las Vegas has held only 1 title truthful far, it was arguably nan champion of past season.

It is not yet known really racing will beryllium connected nan caller hybrid ‘street’ way successful Madrid that will big nan Spanish Grand Prix from 2026, but F1 will want guarantee nan arena is simply a success.

Why is F1 trending towards thoroughfare circuits? Liberty Media, nan commercialized authorities holders, tends to want caller races to beryllium ‘destination events’ adjacent to awesome organization centres.

But Liberty insists it is conscious of nan sport's practice and wished to protect nan historical races connected roadworthy circuits.

Should F1 do distant pinch number of laps and spell to timed races? Eg 100 minutes. Races for illustration Silverstone and Spa decorativeness excessively early if nary information cars. - Gary

This is not a taxable I retrieve coming up astatine immoderate point, and I checked pinch a root adjacent to nan apical of nan sport, who said they believed it had ne'er been a taxable for chat since Liberty Media took complete F1.

The existent rules dictate that grands prix tally to a maximum region of 305km (190 miles) and for not longer than 2 hours.

Back successful nan 1950s, it was not uncommon for races to beryllium overmuch longer than that, but nan existent region was moved towards done nan 1960s and has been beautiful overmuch group for half a period aliases so.

This intends immoderate races person a longer long than others.

Monaco, for example, is truthful slow that nan cars cannot get adjacent to nan 305km limit - successful fact, location is simply a little limit of 260km for races there.

Singapore besides struggles to get nan afloat region into 2 hours. While events connected accelerated circuits specified arsenic Monza, Spa and Silverstone are often little than 90 minutes long, sometimes moreover conscionable 80 minutes. The races are nan aforesaid magnitude - they conscionable return little clip to complete because nan mean speeds are higher.

But no-one successful nan athletics seems to person a problem pinch this. People for illustration nan variety, successful fact.

How overmuch input does each driver person successful preparing nan title strategies? And if they do, do immoderate person much - i.e. Fernando Alonso aliases Lewis Hamilton? - Rob

Race strategies are arrived astatine aft teams tally millions of simulations to effort to find what is mathematically nan fastest race, taking into relationship each imaginable variables.

Typically, nan engineers will determine nan imaginable strategies and past this will beryllium discussed pinch nan drivers. They do person an input, but nan determination is made collectively.

Teams will spell into nan title pinch a number of options. Choices arsenic to which to travel will beryllium made erstwhile it becomes clear really nan title is going connected various fronts - position, tyre wear, opposition, etc.

Where nan driver’s input is really valuable is successful their consciousness for what mightiness beryllium imaginable from nan tyres erstwhile they get retired connected track, and it’s surely existent that immoderate drivers are much skilled and much proactive successful this measurement than others.

A bully illustration was George Russell’s title successful Belgium, erstwhile he had a consciousness that a one-stop would beryllium imaginable and worked pinch nan Mercedes engineers to spell that way. It won him nan title until he was disqualified for his car being underweight.

There are plentifulness of different examples of this. You often perceive Carlos Sainz making strategy choices astatine Ferrari. And, yes, Alonso is different driver who is renowned for his exceptional expertise successful this regard.

Hamilton besides excels - return Silverstone this year, for example, erstwhile he made nan utilized soft tyre past from his last pit extremity to nan extremity and won, while nan aforesaid tyre faded connected Lando Norris’ McLaren, which dropped backmost to 3rd down Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

This play location seems to beryllium an different magnitude of guidance and engineers changing teams. Why do you deliberation this is? - Rob

There has been a batch of movement, and it’s because nan circumstances of a number of teams are changing. It conscionable truthful happens that it’s each coinciding.

So, astatine Red Bull, for example, it has been a tumultuous twelvemonth pursuing nan allegations of intersexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour made against squad main Christian Horner.

These person now been nan taxable of 2 soul Red Bull inquiries, some of which person dismissed nan complaint. There whitethorn yet beryllium further developments to come.

These allegations - which Horner has ever denied - were instrumental successful main method serviceman Adrian Newey’s determination to leave. And erstwhile Newey is connected nan market, he will inevitably beryllium successful request elsewhere. It looks for illustration he will astir apt extremity up astatine Aston Martin.

Red Bull are besides astir to suffer sporting head Jonathan Wheatley, who is moving to Audi arsenic squad main adjacent year.

Aston Martin proprietor Lawrence Stroll is wished to move his squad into title contenders, truthful he is shopping for talent - and he has attracted Ferrari’s method head Enrico Cardile.

That intends Ferrari now request a method head - squad main Frederic Vasseur is opinionated successful connected a impermanent basis.

At Alpine, meanwhile, it had already been a twelvemonth of turmoil connected nan guidance beforehand moreover earlier nan presence of Flavio Briatore arsenic executive adviser. And he was ever going to ringing nan changes.

Expect much developments astatine Alpine, pursuing nan assignment of Oliver Oakes arsenic squad main earlier this month.

Sauber is turning into Audi successful 2026, and a marque of specified prestige cannot spend to beryllium astatine nan back. So it was possibly inevitable alteration would hap there, fixed nan deficiency of evident advancement astatine nan team. That’s what was partially down the caller removal of Andreas Seidl and Thomas Hoffmann and nan assignment of Mattia Binotto.

What do you deliberation persuaded Carlos Sainz to motion for Williams? Are we going to spot a return to shape for James Vowles’ squad complete nan adjacent fewer years? - Melissa

Sainz chose Williams complete Sauber/Audi and Alpine simply because he believed it was his champion competitory action of nan three.

It’s not difficult to spot really he came to that conclusion, moreover if Williams are down Alpine successful nan title astatine nan moment.

Audi mightiness person large ambitions but it seems apt that it will beryllium rather immoderate years earlier they are competitive, fixed nan magnitude of activity needed to move Sauber around.

And nan early of Alpine is very uncertain pursuing nan presence of Flavio Briatore arsenic executive director, and nan apparently impending determination to wantonness nan Renault F1 motor programme and go a customer team.

A batch of group successful F1 deliberation it looks for illustration nan squad is being prepared for a imaginable sale.

As for Williams, squad main James Vowles and owners Dorilton person large ambitions. Williams person slipped backwards this year, but Vowles says he ever knew that would beryllium a consequences of nan changes he has made to effort to modernise nan team.

He has been clear successful how he sounded nan squad to Sainz. Now it is up to him to beryllium he tin backmost it up.