Does FIA need to rethink approach to wet race conditions? – F1 Q&A

Lando Norris’ championship lead was extended by 16 points after Oscar Piastri’s McLaren one-two at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Before the summer break, Formula 1 will travel to Hungary for round 14.

Due to the slipstream on such a long straight, qualifying on pole almost seemed unfair in both races this weekend. Can this particular track be improved to make pole actually advantageous? – Tom

It is true that both the pole winners of the Belgian Grand Prix, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, lost the lead in the sprint to Max Verstappen on the first lap and Oscar Piastri to Max Verstappen in the grand prix, lost the lead on the first lap.

They were two distinct circumstances, though.

The dry start for the sprint was standing. Verstappen followed him through Eau Rouge and slippedstream past him up the hill, despite the fact that Pirastri had done everything in his power.

Before the race, Piastri was aware that this was a likely circumstance. That’s partly due to the track’s layout, but also because Verstappen had an advantage on the straight because of her lower downforce than Piastri.

Despite having a quicker car and having a significant advantage in the middle of the lap, Piastri could never come close enough to try to beat Verstappen.

The Grand Prix was unique. It started out rolling because it was wet. Norris should have had much easier access to the lead after all of that.

However, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella even raised concerns about his restart.

First, because Norris left early and Piastri went with him, he did not have a lead over the start line that would have helped him stay in his position.

Then, at La Source, Norris made a mistake, which made Piastri become even closer, which almost assuredly meant Norris was a sitting duck. Then, Pirastri made sure he would pass through Eau Rouge by moving as quickly as he dared, faster than Norris did.

Norris remarked, “Oscar deserved it.”

However, Charles Leclerc managed to retain the lead last year at Spa at Les Combes, so it’s not a given that the pole-winning driver will lose it. Depending on the circumstances, yes.

Regarding the pole comment, it’s true that it’s intended to give a driver an advantage for qualifying the fastest. However, that is all there is. At the end of the first lap, the driver who secures it has a divine right to take the lead. They don’t, of course.

Do you believe the FIA needs to reevaluate how to manage wet race conditions? Safety should always be a top priority in Formula 1. Do you believe that F1 drivers are hampered by the FIA’s overly conservative approach in demonstrating their all-weather driving prowess? Harj

After the Belgian Grand Prix, there was a perception that the race director had chosen the starting time too early on the side of caution.

Max Verstappen claimed that the race could have been held on schedule at 3 p.m. local time and that red flagging it would have been unnecessary if the teams had just allowed the cars to drag their way through some track water.

He had a vested interest because Red Bull changed his car to have more downforce than the McLaren and Ferrari precisely because they anticipated rain.

Lewis Hamilton claimed that they could have started working on the project even before the delay.

Following an incident at Silverstone, all the drivers acknowledged that they had requested race officials refrain from starting a wet race too soon.

Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls crashed into Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes at Copse simply because he could not see it before hitting it, which caused the incident.

Additionally, you must take into account the risks associated with Spa, as well as the tragic events involving Dilano van t ‘Hoft and Anthoine Hubert’s deaths in junior category races in 2019 and 2023.

Both of them collided before returning to the track, where another car struck them at high speed, causing them both to die.

Is Lewis Hamilton’s performance dropping as a result of his overthinking and overthinking of the entire team? Is it possible for one person to accomplish so much? – Ed

Lewis Hamilton’s Belgian Grand Prix weekend was a remarkable addition to his encouraging form over the past few years.

Since the Miami Grand Prix in May, Leclerc had outqualified him in three of the previous four races, but his average qualifying deficit to team-mate Charles Leclerc has dropped to 0.05 seconds.

However, Hamilton’s own admission was that his driving was “unacceptable” during both Spa qualifying sessions.

However, there were extenuating factors. Leclerc had been running his car in Spa for years, but Hamilton had to wait until Belgium before choosing new braking techniques. Additionally, Ferrari added a new rear suspension to make it easier for them to lower the vehicle.

Hamilton was out of his mind when he forced a hard brake for the Bus Stop chicane in sprint qualifying.

Hamilton also recently hired a new data engineer from Mercedes, who he had previously worked for.

“It’s not simple to switch engineers in the middle of a season,” Hamilton said. I’ve known this person for a long time. He was a member of my previous team. not in that position, though. We are acquiring a new relationship, so we. having to learn quickly and super.

“We had really caught both of us out with the changes,” she said.

And he was merely making a mistake by only exceeding the Raidillon track’s qualifying limits during the grand prix. His pace was acceptable on that lap, which was deleted because he was only a few yards behind Leclerc.

How long will Max Verstappen be around if Red Bull’s new engine from next year is clearly struggling with performance and unlikely to be a front-runner that season? When will we be able to get a sense of what the engine of the following year might be capable of giving him? – Geoff

There is absolutely no way for anyone to determine whether Red Bull’s 2026 engine is “clearly down on performance” as the first thing to say is that.

According to the F1 Grapevine, Mercedes’ internal combustion engine performance for 2026 so far suggests that they have a slight advantage over the other manufacturers.

Figures appear in various ways, even though manufacturers are working alone and will reject any claims they may be behind.

Even if that is accurate, the performance of an internal combustion engine will be the focus of the following year. The engine’s electrical component, which accounts for about 50% of the total power output, and the new sustainable fuels, both of which will have a significant impact.

Relative performance levels won’t be known until the following year, therefore.

After Red Bull’s form slumped in the following 18 months following Adrian Newey’s departure, there are also concerns about Red Bull’s car design team, of course.

Verstappen’s future is likely to be in Red Bull’s hands in 2026, so you can take it as read. He doesn’t want to leave, according to my sources, for a variety of reasons.