Where next for Newey? Your questions answered before Miami GP

Formula One heads to Florida for nan sixth title this season.

It will besides beryllium different sprint title play astatine nan Miami Grand Prix. Max Verstappen won nan first sprint successful China, past clip out.

The title play usually sees galore celebrated names successful attendance.

Before past season's race, rapper and character LL Cool J introduced nan drivers for illustration they were boxers earlier a large fight.

BBC Sport's F1 analogous Andrew Benson answers your questions.

Where do you astir apt spot Adrian Newey headed aft Red Bull and will his effect beryllium arsenic important a nonaccomplishment for nan squad arsenic immoderate person made out? – James

Newey’s determination to time off Red Bull, reported by BBC Sport past week, is 1 of nan astir seismic events to hap successful Formula 1 for a agelong time.

That’s not conscionable for what it says astir nan soul issues astatine nan squad successful nan aftermath of nan allegations of intersexual harassment and coercive, abusive behaviour made by a female worker against Christian Horner, which nan 50-year-old squad main denies.

But besides because of nan effect it will apt person connected nan squad he leaves and nan squad he chooses to join.

Newey is rightly regarded arsenic nan top F1 designer successful history so, moreover if he is not full-time connected F1 these days, he will person a immense effect connected immoderate squad he joins, and losing cannot but wounded nan 1 he leaves. You tin spot nan effect his mounting nan conception of nan latest procreation of Red Bulls has had connected them.

He has been made offers by Ferrari and Aston Martin. I’m told by sources adjacent to him that he is earnestly considering Ferrari but is not willing successful going to Aston Martin.

But I would not norm retired personification other coming successful for him. Not each squad could spend him. But McLaren and Mercedes surely could - and going location would beryllium little disruptive domestically to Newey, moreover if it would not person nan aforesaid romanticist tie arsenic Ferrari.

Has Lewis Hamilton’s expertise deteriorated aliases are his existent struggles much reflective of nan Mercedes car? – Alex

Hamilton is suffering nan worst commencement to a play successful his profession this twelvemonth but it would beryllium misguided and premature to tie a conclusion arsenic to immoderate diminution successful his expertise arsenic a result. And, aft each he has achieved, I fishy he would find it somewhat disrespectful if you were to inquire him that mobility yourself!

His capacity successful bedewed qualifying and past nan sprint title successful China showed he still has each his aged qualities. Remember, this Mercedes is simply a beautiful mediocre car, and he stuck it 2nd connected nan grid successful nan bedewed and, arguably much impressively, hung connected to that position complete 19 laps successful nan dry, having initially grabbed nan lead from McLaren’s Lando Norris astatine nan first corner.

But he decidedly needs to find immoderate consistency this season. Stopping making chaotic set-up gambles successful hunt of a magic slug that astir apt is not there, immoderate would reason would beryllium a bully start.

Hamilton's desire to compete is arsenic beardown arsenic ever. And arsenic his aged rival Fernando Alonso has demonstrated truthful powerfully, if nan desire is there, location is nary logic for nan expertise to wane.

McLaren’s return to shape complete nan past 3 aliases 4 years has been impressive. How adjacent are they to returning to nan very apical connected a regular basis? – Ashley

McLaren - and lead driver Lando Norris - person been pointing retired many times this twelvemonth that they person developed much than immoderate different squad successful nan past 12 months.

This is wholly meticulous - but it is besides adjacent to opportunity that they needed to.

They started nan 2023 play towards nan back. Their deficiency of performance, and peculiarly their deficiency of development, complete nan months preceding that constituent is what led to nan awesome structural changes successful nan squad complete nan wintertime of 2022-23 - for example, Andrea Stella being promoted to squad main and method head James Key being ousted.

Since then, Stella has done an awesome occupation of getting McLaren backmost connected track. For rather immoderate clip complete nan 2nd half of past season, they were Red Bull’s closest challengers, until Ferrari’s precocious revival. They person started this play arsenic nan third-fastest squad connected mean - and they level hit Ferrari successful China past clip out.

How adjacent are they to becoming nan squad to beat? To do that, they person to drawback and overtake Red Bull. McLaren are arsenic alert of this arsenic anyone.

Can they do it?

This is what Stella said aft nan title successful China: “If we return nan 12 months period, we person developed much than anybody else. Red Bull did not create very overmuch past twelvemonth and intelligibly they were moving rather a batch successful nan inheritance because they innovated nan car dramatically, and to innovate for illustration they did takes months of redesign.

“Then, erstwhile they came pinch nan caller car, it was a large step. We mislaid immoderate crushed because we gained truthful overmuch crushed earlier while they were not developing.

“That’s why we person to look astatine things complete nan agelong period, and complete that agelong play we are connected a beardown trajectory. If we support this beardown trajectory for nan adjacent 12 months, why not? We whitethorn scope Red Bull.”

Are location excessively galore rules & regulations imposed by nan FIA (both car creation & racing) and would simplifying them make nan athletics much exciting? – Alex

Over time, a number of designers person suggested that alternatively than constitute specified restrictive rules, nan FIA mightiness beryllium amended mounting a bid of parameters and letting nan designers do what they want wrong them.

The logic that does not hap is nan fearfulness that 1 squad will get a march connected nan others and fastener successful advantage their rivals can’t overturn.

You mightiness good reason that is what has happened pinch Red Bull successful nan past mates of years, of course.

It’s a somewhat romanticist thought to free up nan rules, but it’s not very apt to happen. Not slightest because it is somewhat against nan inclination of modern motorsport.

Nor is this a awesome taxable successful F1 correct now - aliases so for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember.

The biggest interest among engineers presently is nan 2026 rules and what is looking for illustration a spot of a mess.

In essence, a mates of years agone nan power-unit manufacturers came up pinch a group of motor rules that created a caller motor pinch a overmuch greater proportionality of its powerfulness coming from nan hybrid elements - up to astir 50% alternatively than nan astir 20% now.

But they besides took distant 1 of nan 2 intends by which nan engines regenerate energy, making them overmuch little efficient.

This has created a awesome conundrum for nan chassis rules, which are being finalised correct now.

The rumor is that it is proving very difficult to retrieve capable power for nan engines, and moveable aerodynamics to summation speeds connected nan straights is nan apt solution. Even then, they are falling short.

Some opportunity that nan only measurement to negociate it would beryllium to let power betterment from nan beforehand axle. But nan FIA is resisting this astatine nan moment. The deadline for nan rules to beryllium vanished is nan extremity of June and correct now fewer engineers are assured a satisfactory solution has been found.

With Nico Hulkenberg moving to Sauber adjacent play (to beryllium Audi successful 2026), what does that mean for nan remainder of nan driver market? – Chris

The large mobility astir nan driver marketplace still revolves astir Max Verstappen’s early - will he enactment astatine Red Bull aliases not?

Red Bull emphasise he is nether statement until 2028, but it is nary concealed that he and his guidance person been unsettled by nan contention complete Christian Horner, nor that Mercedes are keen to entice him to subordinate them for 2025 aliases 2026.

Among nan apical teams, seats are disposable astatine Red Bull and Mercedes. As Mercedes squad main Toto Wolff said successful China, it is apt that thing will move until nan Verstappen mobility is resolved.

Sauber/Audi is simply a insignificant subordinate successful this market, though it could good beryllium that their number 1 target, Carlos Sainz, feels nan request sooner aliases later to perpetrate to them alternatively than waiting successful nan dream of a Red Bull aliases Mercedes thrust that whitethorn not travel - neither seems that willing successful him - and consequence being near pinch nothing.

Which erstwhile F1 way would you astir for illustration to spot nan athletics return to and why? – George

You could opportunity this mobility is somewhat serendipitous because, arsenic it happens, I’ve conscionable vanished penning a book astir racetracks astir nan world - it will beryllium retired later this year.

The evident - and cliched - reply is nan fabled Nurburgring Nordschleife, but that is truthful acold retired of nan realms of anticipation arsenic to beryllium impossible, nevertheless overmuch 1 mightiness wish it.

The aforesaid would use to Charade - different known arsenic Clermont-Ferrand - a stunning roadworthy people successful nan Massif Central that held 4 French Grands Prix betwixt 1965 and 1972.

I’m tempted to opportunity Watkins Glen, location of nan US Grand Prix East for 20 years from 1960-80. But nan way that really caught my admiration increasing up was nan Osterreichring.

This was a overmuch longer, faster circuit connected nan tract of nan Red Bull Ring, which hosts nan Austrian Grand Prix. The caller way shares nan basal style of nan aged one, but not overmuch else.

The Osterreichring was a genuinely magnificent track, accelerated and flowing, pinch 2 iconic, banked, accelerated corners - nan Bosch Kurve and Rindt Kurve. And successful gorgeous scenery, of people - 1 point nan modern way does stock pinch it.

To spot a modern F1 car astir location would beryllium genuinely thing else.