F1 Q&A: Max Verstappen overrated? Lance Stroll to be bought an F1 title? And many more

You asked, we answered. After getting your questions ahead of the return of Formula 1 this weekend, Sam Cooper is on hand to answer them.

From Zandvoort to a Lance Stroll world title, yes, you read that right, we have answered your burning questions.

Your questions answered ahead of F1’s return

Will Lando Norris win in Zandvoort? – Mukund Arun

Short answer – He could!

Long answer – Norris and McLaren undoubtedly head into the second half of the season as the in-form team so, for sure, the Briton is one of the candidates to win in Zandvoort.

In terms of his record on the Dutch coast, it’s actually not that great. He qualified P2 last year but went on to finish seventh, matching his 2022 result, while in 2021 he finished 10th.

There is some rain forecast for Sunday but barring another strategy error, Norris is right up there as a potential winner.

Our resident data analyst, Pablo Hidalgo, has actually predicted a McLaren win in Zandvoort and at four other remaining tracks, too.

2026 regs are set to make the cars slower and there are more overtakes in one touring car race than a whole F1 season. If the cars are getting slower and other series provide more (exciting?) wheel to wheel racing, is F1 as the ‘pinnacle of motorsport’ going in the wrong direction? – Anonymous

It’s a fair question and as to how we got to this point, you have to look at the wider context. F1 has long been on a mission to make the cars safer, meaning the regular driver deaths are thankfully a thing of the past but their way of achieving that is by making bulkier and heavier cars.

That particular point was disputed by Mark Webber when I spoke to him recently at Goodwood. He argued that smaller cars actually hurt the driver far less than heavier ones because although you do have more protection, the impact feels much heavier because of the weight going through you.

Also in the current climate, F1 cannot be seen to be ignoring the environment and so the bigger battery seems like it was a matter of when, not if.

So while F1 and the FIA have not gone out of their way to make the cars bulkier and less agile, other goals have undoubtedly affected the racing. Monaco is a procession and it is not the only circuit where most of the action will come on Saturday.

I think it is fair to say F1 is going in the wrong direction (although the 2026 cars are at least a bit lighter) but I think the FIA and F1 felt they had to, given the circumstances.

Since some of the field (like McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari) have been close to Red Bull recently, do you think Max Verstappen’s winning streak at Zandvoort will come to an end this year? – SeamlessShelf35

If there was ever a year to bet against Verstappen, this is it. The Dutchman, who is so good at his home circuit, will arrive in Zandvoort not as the favourite, but one of many drivers hoping to get the win.

Verstappen has gone four races without a win, something that would have seemed impossible at the start of the season, but having had a few weeks off, some time to recharge, he will be on a mission to right that wrong this weekend.

I’d still personally have Verstappen as favourite just for his record here and the support from the home crowd but it’s close.

Is it possible to get from you some gadget from the track or generally related to F1? Greetings from Poland – Filip

I think F1 would chase me out of the circuit if I tried this…

When is F1 going to figure out that brooms are not anywhere as capable of removing excess water as a jet drier? – Pete Bauer

I am sure they know that but it’s the logistics of such a task. Spa is 7km long for example so you would need a fair number of jet driers stationed across it to have any impact.

Also it’s the cost. Marshals are supplied by the circuit organiser and they already complain bills are too high before you even get to the price of adding things like jet driers.

Why not use air cannons to blow debris off track or at least off the racing line? This would be effective for bits of carbon fibre and similar small debris and eliminate the need to put track workers at risk or potentially yellow/red flag the race. – Ed K. In Florida, USA

Again, logistically and logically it’s difficult. It seems you are suggesting to have them stationed by the side of the track which again is costly but also blocks the view of the fans.

Also what if a driver hits one?

What is your favourite Zandvoort memory? – Ray Stone

I went to Zandvoort for the first time last year and absolutely loved it. It is one of the circuits that absolutely nails the fan experience.

For a start, the town is blocked off from cars meaning it feels like the whole place is geared up for the race and the fact it is right next to a beach is even better.

Also the Dutch people are incredibly welcoming so I’m very happy to be going back this year!

How many stroopwafels do you consume during a Dutch GP weekend? – Mr E.Spencatore

Ask me again on Monday…

How can Formula 1 say Andretti will not bring any value to the grid when they have Renault, in their latest guise of Alpine, making a mockery of everything, sacking people left right and centre and going back faster than ever. Not to mention the poor progress of Kick Sauber. Then there is Red Bull running two teams blocking the space for another new team. – Roy

I agree with you, Roy, but I think the value argument has only ever been an easy excuse. The reality is teams don’t want to share the prize pot with someone they feel hasn’t earned it.

One source from a team suggested to me Andretti are seen in the paddock as doing things on the cheap and only want to enter F1 now that it is profitable.

Is this news all real coming on this platform? – Anonymous

The world of F1, and many sports for that matter, does tend to rely on wicked whispers a fair lot but I’d say over the last year especially, we have put more of a focus on reporting things we know or have been told are true.

If that is not the case, we will put the tag ‘– report’ to say this is being reported but we can’t verify it just yet.

Every driver has fans and media that favour him. You now see a lot of polarisation between fans, especially online. It would help if the official F1 channel was neutral. Then fans can make a better distinction: Italian is more Ferrari, English is more Mercedes, etc. But above all, if you follow the official F1 channels, you know that you are presented with a neutral view. However, F1’s official media channels use a lot of Sky Sports people. Do you think it would reduce polarisation to make the official F1 channels neutral in terms of reporting? – Lisa

This seems a question more directed at F1 rather than us but will give it a go regardless!

Personally, I find F1’s reporting on its own sport nicely balanced. After every session, they will have video interviews with all 20 drivers and where else are you going to find Kevin Magnussen reacting to his FP2 performance for example?

I know the Sky Sports complaint is a common one but ultimately they will do what they think is right for their audience. The majority of their income comes from the UK and so they will talk up UK teams and drivers.

Has Max Verstappen been seriously overrated? His success has come with only one team and his failure to win half of the 2024 season races in a car that is pretty much the equal of any other car on the grid (even on a bad day) even losing to far less experienced drivers (Piastri) surely points to a driver who is not as devastatingly capable as his three world championships have lead us to believe? I feel his actions on track and fraught radio exchanges may point to a driver who needs a significant car advantage to look as good as he has over the past three seasons – Veryan Berry

I think that is some very harsh logic with which to judge a driver. In 2016, Mercedes undoubtedly had the best car and yet Max Verstappen won in Spain. Does that mean Lewis Hamilton is overrated? Or does that mean that anything can happen on a race day?

I just don’t see how you can look at Max Verstappen’s body of work so far and dismiss his abilities. He’s won when his car has not been the quickest, he won the tightest title race in decades (yes with some help) and when he did have a dominant car, he produced the most one-sided season of all time.

But Formula 1 ebbs and flows. Red Bull’s dominance was never going to last forever and the other teams have finally caught up, making Verstappen’s victories less of a given.

But even with that said, he still leads the championship by a long way and has won half the races this year!

For me, I think he is undoubtedly one of the best to do it but he himself has said comparisons are a waste of time.

How can an IGCSE student become an IGCSE student – Ismail

Afraid I don’t fully understand the question Ismail. I am about a decade out of the education system so I even had to look up what IGCSE is!

If it’s a job in F1 you are after, a lot of teams have graduate schemes that you should look into.

What’s the next step for Android Global if Liberty Media is found guilty by the US Department of Justice of antitrust laws and when will Greg Maffei and Stefano Domenicali accept Andretti’s entry into F1 in 2025 or 2026? – Evil Hands

Honestly, who knows? Guenther Steiner said recently that too much water has flown under the bridge for Andretti to ever be accepted and having the US government get involved is not going to rebuild some of the bridges they may have burned.

I am increasingly of the opinion that we will not see Andretti ever enter as an 11th team and their only shot is to buy an existing outfit. The only problem is no one is selling.

As for the US government’s involvement, that could have far wider ramifications than just Andretti depending on the outcome.

With the new 2026 engines, should we expect them to sound different? Will they be quieter and will the e-motor change the way they go through the gears? – J Peake

They may well do but I do not think we will be getting to Formula E sounding cars. An ICE is still quite loud!

Do you think we might ever see a rule outlawing the use of simulators during a grand prix weekend? I hate seeing cars not running, then hearing “third driver x was in the simulator all night”. I would prefer to see that work done on track. Equally I would like to see practice starts be forbidden – all in the hope of adding more variability to a grand prix. – Stephanie Wright

It’s a good question Stephanie but personally no, I would like simulators to continue being used. The reason I say that is Formula 1 teams are so restricted in how much on-track testing they can do that simulators have become a vital part of designing a car and vital for the drivers.

It is the only sport like this as well. Would you tell Lionel Messi he can only kick a ball at the weekend? Should we restrict the amount of practice Simone Biles can do?

Formula 1 races should be about the pinnacle of achievement and so if Mick Schumacher spending all night in a simulator leads to a better race, I am all for it.

Your predictions on next season – Haas, drivers and car, can they become a solid midfielder? – Dario

Of all the predictions I made at the start of this season, it is Haas I got most wrong. I must admit I thought they would struggle in the post-Steiner era but Ayao Komatsu has worked wonders.

I think Ollie Bearman is a great signing but I wonder how well Esteban Ocon would work with a rookie.

In terms of where they could be, right now you would say there are easily three teams worse than them and you would trust Komatsu and his team to keep moving up.

Will Bottas continue driving for the Stake team for 2025 onwards? – Ken, South Africa

I think it is looking increasingly likely that he will. Andreas was reportedly not a huge fan of the Finn’s work but with Seidl out the door, you have to imagine that improves Bottas’ chance of staying.

Out of the two current drivers, I think keeping Bottas makes more sense but Zhou Guanyu’s reported sponsorship money could change things.

Either way, I expect either Zhou or Bottas to stay for another year with a new driver coming in 2026 for Audi’s arrival.

Following on from the 100m Olympic win by 1000th second, how does this translate into distance with similar margins in F1 qualifying? – Jonny Cee

So I had a look through the annals of time and the closest ever finish to an F1 race came at the 1971 Italian GP.

That saw winner Peter Gethin beat Ronnie Peterson by 0.010 seconds while quali lap times have been exactly the same in the past.

George Russell and Max Verstappen recorded the exact same time for quali in Montreal this year which is the 16th time it has happened in F1 history. So the answer is very close!

Is it possible if Adrian Newey goes to Aston and Honda produce a good engine ,could Lawrence Stroll in theory buy a championship for Lance if they employed a clear no.2 driver and how credible would that championship be? – Paul Torr

I think regardless of how much money he has behind him, a driver winning a world title is worthy of credit.

Yes you can buy your way onto the grid but to be World Champion you would have to beat some of the world’s best drivers. Sergio Perez has shown last year that having a good car is not a guarantee of success.

Who is the best driver? – Anonymous

Jolyon Palmer because he supports the same football team as me. The mighty Ipswich Town.

Do you believe Daniel [Ricciardo], on his own, will step aside for Liam [Lawson]? – Darryl Amirault

Hmm, good question Darryl. Personally I think if Ricciardo does leave this season then yes it will be a carefully crafted ‘mutual decision’ to save the Australian’s face.

But behind closed doors, I can’t see Ricciardo wanting to fall on his sword to give Lawson a chance. Ricciardo still believes he has something to give.

To Elizabeth Blackstock (if possible): how well do you think Alex Palou would do in F1 if given the chance to drive in F1? Could he be the next Alonso or the next Sargeant? Thanks a lot in advance. Cheers! – FL rooted

EB here!

Trying to predict how a driver will perform in F1 can always be a little bit of a crapshoot — it depends on so many factors, like the team the driver would be racing for, the circuits on which they’re testing, and so much more.

However, we do have a few inklings. Palou has had a handful of outings testing older McLarens, as well as one Free Practice 1 outing at the 2022 United States Grand Prix. That FP1 session is the only publicly available data we have, and Palou finished that session in 17th, three seconds behind session leader Carlos Sainz.

Had Palou made it to F1 with McLaren in place of Oscar Piastri, I think we’d have seen him offer up a formidable challenge to Lando Norris — the same way Piastri has. I certainly would rank him higher than a Logan Sargeant in terms of performance, but I don’t know if he’d have the staying power of a Fernando Alonso!

When will PF1 publish Formula E news? Formula E is far closer to F1 than IndyCar – PopularPete

If we did cover Formula E, we would want to do it properly and unfortunately we don’t have the man/woman power for that. We would not want to just half arse it.

Of course, if there is a relevant F1/FE crossover then we may report on it and I was lucky enough to attend the London ePrix recently and had a great time.

Should F1 try a two day race weekend something like they did in 2020 San Marino GP? – Wasif Anowar

I quite like the F1 weekend as it is to be fair. I like having quali on Saturday then having around a day to theorise with friends about who could do well etc. I am also one of the fewer people in favour of the three practice sessions. More practice = better races in my opinion!

Do F1 teams have a form of ‘crash insurance’ for their respective cars? I.e. Perez/Magnussen crash Monaco 2024. – Rocco

They may not have a pile of cash set aside with the label ‘crash money’ but F1 teams would be foolish to allocate their budget without the idea of crashes happening.

As to how much they ring fence, that will be different on a team by team basis and how much they trust their drivers not to put it in the wall. Haas with Mick Schumahcer and Nikita Mazepin, two rookies, may have expected more costs than say Mercedes with Hamilton and Bottas.

If Mercedes and McLaren were to keep their upward trends and if Aston Martin obtain a superstar designer, what are the most likely and outrageous scenarios in order for 2025? – Andrew

So my 1-10 of the options given by Andrew with 1 being the most likely are:

1.) Oscar Piastri Championship
2.) Lando Norris Championship
3.) Fernando Alonso race win
4.) Kimi Antonelli Championship
5.) George Russell Championship
6.) Lance Stroll race win
7.) Fernando Alonso Championship
8.) Lance Stroll Championship
9.) Mick Schumacher race win
10.) Mick Schumacher Championship