Send us your Qatar GP F1 podcast questions!
Added 2024-12-01 11:05:01 +0000 UTCHey everyone - Drop your questions below for Edd and the team to tackle after the race in Qatar.
As usual we'll get through as many as we can in the post-race show, and hopefully we'll get stuck into more of them mid-week before the season finale.
Comments
Were the penalties relatively punitive at this race compared to other races?
Chase Roberts
2024-12-02 02:16:17 +0000 UTCPlease steel man an argument that the race shouldn’t have gone under a safety car as soon as there was debris on the track.
Chase Roberts
2024-12-02 02:15:28 +0000 UTCYou are allowed to ‘overtake’ another car off the line just not further round the track. I’m not sure where the exact cut-off point it but rest assured the Abby chicane in 1994 was well beyond it! 😉
Chris Parrott
2024-12-01 22:48:50 +0000 UTCWhat is the endgame for the FIA? Armchair appearance is it is an amateur organisation throwing darts at a board in a multi billion dollar sport.
Nick of Oz
2024-12-01 22:26:54 +0000 UTCWhy was there no SC for Albon‘s mirror or After Bottas drove over it? And why was there no black and orange flag for Albon?
Rohmilchkäse
2024-12-01 22:06:42 +0000 UTCWas the drive through Penalty too harsh for Hamilton? I don‘t remember pitlane speeding offenses dealt in that way.
Rohmilchkäse
2024-12-01 22:05:37 +0000 UTCIsn‘t that Standard Protocol? Raikkonen got the Same for the Same offene in Belgium 2017.
Rohmilchkäse
2024-12-01 22:03:35 +0000 UTCHow come norris got a 10 second stop/go, a penalty I have not seen dished out in a very long time, for failing to lift in a location where there was no danger to anyone? Especially when hamilton only got a drivethrough for speeding in the pits, where there are team personnel and pit lane marshals everywhere? As a volunteer myself, I am normally very pro punishment for breaking rules that are there for marshal safety, but this seems inconsistent, and very draconian on norris.
Jasper Pendlebury
2024-12-01 21:44:36 +0000 UTCThat's mad - double yellows interfered quite significantly! With or without Norris' not-feathering...
Kim
2024-12-01 21:41:00 +0000 UTCAt the start, it looked like Russell had a yellow light on his roll hoop. Was this 'normal' or did it suggest an electric issue?
Kim
2024-12-01 21:38:59 +0000 UTCWith the talk of Ocon not driving for Alpine in AD, has it become more likely that he was not given the same equipment under the hood as Gasly? We could see that only Gasly got the exterior upgrades, Front Wing etc. Is this typical Briatore treatment?
Rohmilchkäse
2024-12-01 21:18:21 +0000 UTCI thought they were discussing the safetycar lights there? Could have misheard though.
Dimitri Schenk
2024-12-01 21:01:26 +0000 UTCFred V said there was no option under the rules other than a stop/go penalty for failing to slow under a yellow flag, Andrea S talked about a dusty book. How much flexibility do the stewards have on penalties or are they prescribed?
Trevor Lynn
2024-12-01 20:47:07 +0000 UTCJust to add my personal thoughts, which aren't really part of my question: Haas in particular has struck me as a team that usually goes for very pedestrian strategies and isn't very proactive with undercuts etc... I'm wondering if this particular approach might've contributed to them finishing in the 8-12 range a lot, but has also never really put them in a position to get those Alpine-style results, in the few situations where those might've been attainable with a riskier approach.
David Trippler
2024-12-01 20:13:15 +0000 UTCWhether a result is "deserved" or not ultimately means nothing in F1, but in the midfield we could end up with a situation where a team that got a few very lucky breaks (Alpine) will finish ahead of teams with much better overall execution of the course of the whole season (Haas and RB). What are your personal feelings on this, does it feel unfair that Alpine got these lucky breaks or did they simply maximize their results when it counted, while Haas and RB were unable to do so in situations where they had a similar chance?
David Trippler
2024-12-01 20:09:34 +0000 UTCI find it hard to understand how the FIA/stewards can claim justification for the harsh penalty based on safety, but doing nothing to address the safety issue (Albon’s mirror, before and after Bottas’s strike) in the first place. My question is, why did it take so long for this penalty to be handed down? It was extremely black and white, and having to serve it earlier would have been a more fair implementation.
rod
2024-12-01 19:47:29 +0000 UTCIn a tight Championship competiton, Race Directors can keep the excitement going until the last possible lap (or race). Is this a required qualification for Race Director?
Ed Parr
2024-12-01 19:37:59 +0000 UTCWhat are the long term implications of this FIA megalomaniacal swing? First firings left and right, now the harshest penalties for non impactful infringements. How could this possibly escalate any further, and does any of the FIA electorate actually support an exit for MBS?
Anthony Velazquez
2024-12-01 19:27:14 +0000 UTCHas Francos last few results made it near impossible for him to get a drive next year? Today was unlucky but qualifying was poor
Piers Langford
2024-12-01 19:11:26 +0000 UTCIs this Perez’s worst GP weekend ever let alone just for red bull? Awful sprint qualy, jumped in the pits by Franco, 9 tenths off Max in qualy, unforced spin in the race…
Piers Langford
2024-12-01 19:10:14 +0000 UTCWhat will it take to replace Charlie Whiting.(tragically taken from us) with a Race Director who is both competent and able to keep Mohammad Ben Sulayem happy?
Ed Parr
2024-12-01 19:08:28 +0000 UTCHow serious is the talk of Ocon being replaced at the final race ?
Jason Phillips
2024-12-01 18:49:02 +0000 UTCWith race control dropping the ball on that wing mirror on the track, which damaged three cars from three teams. Is there a method by which the teams can charge damages to the FIA for mistakes like this? Last years Las Vegas and Ferrari is an extreme case, but this year Qatar is clearly and FIA mistake in judgment. Bottas floor had to be ruined after that. The skid plates on Saiz and Hamilton had to have seen extra wear as well which could have caused a penalty too.
Ethan Fish
2024-12-01 18:35:27 +0000 UTCLawson complained of Alonso deliberately blocking him when it was in fact Stroll, and it seems he is looking to create a fight narrative at any opportunity. Is there any paddock talk of him risking his Red Bull chances with these live radio spats with Alonso and Checo given how they weight this with Tsunoda? It seems even more unfair that Yuki can't shake the hot head label when another driver in the same stable seems just as volatile over hot lap radio.
Vin Narayan
2024-12-01 18:28:33 +0000 UTCThe yellow flag alert seemed broken. Max mentioned it in the cool down room. What could be possible penalties for FIA management (or mismanagement) when it affected many teams?
Lisastayfiercesmith
2024-12-01 18:27:18 +0000 UTCIs there anything particular about the Qatar track that led to such a chaotic race?
Olli Emmerson
2024-12-01 18:15:56 +0000 UTCSauber does win some points in 2024, and when it happens it's Zhou rather than Bottas - which of both would have had better odds before the race?
Jan Alexander
2024-12-01 18:15:49 +0000 UTCThe F1TV commentators suggested that the mirror was left on the track as the race director did not want to intervene at that stage of the race (approaching the pit window). Are such things really taken into account, and do you think it played a role in the slow VSC call?
Robert Charlton
2024-12-01 18:14:55 +0000 UTCAlt: after how the management of this race happened, is the sport coming up on/now in this midst of a 'who watches the watchers?' situation?
Stranded_Colourwork
2024-12-01 18:13:55 +0000 UTCIt's rare for someone changing a job to be openly downbeat about their abilities at any level. So to hear Lewis say he's "not fast" is intriguing on the cusp of his move to Ferrari. It suprised many in the paddock (including Jenson Button in commentary). Do you think vocalising these thoughts is a bad idea, or is there an understandable or logical reason you can think of for saying it?
Steve D
2024-12-01 18:07:55 +0000 UTCWhat are your thoughts on the stop go penalty and drive through penalty handed out, particularly why they may have decided to employ these never used penalties
Michael Moorwood
2024-12-01 18:06:55 +0000 UTCIs it actually sustainable to continue on with MBS as race director? The continuous friction between the FIA and every facet of F1—from the teams and the drivers—just doesn’t seem healthy long term. MBS saying to the drivers that how he runs the FIA is “none of their business” seems unnecessarily inflammatory to the relationship between the two organizations. Especially after so many question marks in today’s race, how long can this go on?
Tosin Olojo
2024-12-01 18:05:28 +0000 UTCIf drivers want to retire the car, ala Hamilton. Why do teams push back. Is it to collect further data for the car or the principle of, if the car can finish, you finish?
Ryan Norrie
2024-12-01 18:05:21 +0000 UTCQ. Is the penalties given out today to drivers a direct response from FIA president as a backlash against the drivers GPDA statements?
Stephen Rucco
2024-12-01 17:58:20 +0000 UTCHow much influence does the race director have over the penalties issued by the stewards? If he gets to influence them, does the new race director have a history of harsher than usual penalties or was this weekend a one-off? Alternative question: What happened with Hamilton's retirement? I heard him asking for it as he entered the pit lane for his drive-through penalty and the team rejected, but then the main broadcast claimed he had been called in for it but he drove the entire race.
Juan Arevalo
2024-12-01 17:56:16 +0000 UTCStunningly, the more I watch Lawson race, the less I think he should be in the Red Bull next season. I don’t think he’s show the speed, nor the racecraft to warrant a promotion this year. Saying this, Perez should categorically not be in that seat next year, I’m sure of that. How have red bull managed to mess up their driver lineups so badly?
Dan Neale
2024-12-01 17:56:08 +0000 UTCA non fia question; Another great entertainment providing race from Kmag. With his last race coming up, which (upcoming) driver is going to replace his no compromise fighting spirit on track the coming years?
Dimitri Schenk
2024-12-01 17:55:39 +0000 UTCWhat is the actual point of having Ocon possibly be out of the Alpine in the last race of the season for Jack Doohan?
Tosin Olojo
2024-12-01 17:54:40 +0000 UTCCan I change my question please. New question: wth is wrong with the FIA and when will we get rid of this Ben Sulajem regime?
Rol4nd86
2024-12-01 17:52:52 +0000 UTCIs this the point where all the firings by MBS have truly touched F1? It seems as though having a single race director manage three races was overwhelming and simple safety issues (like the side mirror on the track) were ignored for more than ten laps. But the entire weekend has felt like they’ve been making things up as they went
Tosin Olojo
2024-12-01 17:52:52 +0000 UTCWhen was the last time we had a stop and go penalty?
Tosin Olojo
2024-12-01 17:51:35 +0000 UTCGiven the unusual nature of the penalties given in Qatar, is it time F1 has a consistent set of traveling stewards?
Steve S
2024-12-01 17:50:35 +0000 UTCWas Lando the only driver to not lift or the only driver to get caught?
Chris Parrott
2024-12-01 17:48:01 +0000 UTCWhy did the 2024 Qatar GP suddenly become the 2001 Qatar GP with drive through and stop go penalties for relatively minor indiscretions?
Adam Barton
2024-12-01 17:47:43 +0000 UTCThis race seems like more of a reason to give points to more finishers because the idea that Valtteri Bottas' race deserves the same 0 points as Lewis Hamilton's disaster-class confuses me. I don't really understand why you can beat someone on track and then get the same nothing afterwards, is there any likelihood of expanding points-paying positions wider than the current 12?
Ben Jarrett
2024-12-01 17:45:20 +0000 UTCI'm sure there will be lots of questions about the shambolic "officiating" this weekend. To me, these issues seem systemic at this point because they seem to happen independent of specific people, with different race directors and stewards running into the same problems. So what do you think are structural changes that could help improve things for the future, both in terms of the rules and the set-up of the decision-making institutions?
David Trippler
2024-12-01 17:42:58 +0000 UTCMax 1 place grid drop - a joke, Safety car timing for the stray mirror(should have been out immediately, as its the overtaking zone!)- a joke, Landos stop/go pen - a joke, Lewis' drive through - a joke. Lando and Lewis getting a pen was fair but that was heavy handed for no reason.
Andrew Ferg
2024-12-01 17:42:52 +0000 UTCWas this the best race drive that Zhou has had in his 3 year stint, impressive speed and very controlled race. How impressive has Gasly been in the second half of the season? And how tough will it be for Doohan to go up against him next season? Does anyone actually want the Red Bull second seat? And is it hard for Lawson/Tsunoda to impress in a car that has been underwhelming in the last few rounds?
Thomas Knights
2024-12-01 17:42:49 +0000 UTCLando said after the sprint that "I'm not here to win sprints". Is that proof that the sprint should be scrapped? If even the competitors aren't that bothered about the results, why should the fans be?
Anssi Rulamo
2024-12-01 17:42:20 +0000 UTCHave the stewards changed their interpretation of the penalties, and do you think this coincides with the recent firing of Tim Mayer? I fear that Ben Sulayem is over-exerting his authority (a la Balestre?), but don’t have a problems with the penalties per se, if it becomes the norm
Oscar Robledo
2024-12-01 17:41:15 +0000 UTCWhile safety car interventions increase the randomness of a race result, is Lusail a better circuit for motorbike racing than F1 at the moment? The size and maturity of the current regulations seem to make it practically impossible for a slightly faster car to have a chance of passing (Gasly/Sainz), it appears a significant performance delta is needed to even allow DRS to work (Norris' post penalty charge through the field). Also, condolences to Valterri today.
Alexander Law
2024-12-01 17:40:38 +0000 UTCCall into question the race director all we like, both SCs and especially the VSC were super late on the draw, and the referring incidents to the stewards took way too long too. But can we stop pretending like the penalties were harsh? Stroll was clearly at fault in that collision, and repeated egregious procedural safety infringements are absolutely deserving of a stop/go penalty. We complain about the 5 and 10 second penalties and then suddenly it's bloody murder when the stewards start giving out penalties with teeth that resolve themselves before the checkered flag? This is having your cake and eating it. Bravo to the stewards today.
carma strikes
2024-12-01 17:34:57 +0000 UTCI understand the safety concerns but essentially giving Lando a 35 second penalty seems extremely harsh. What penalty would you have issued? I would have issued a 10 second penalty added at the end of the race
Ben Harwood
2024-12-01 17:28:48 +0000 UTCThe stewarding decisions have been insane this weekend. Is part of this related to the firing of certain staff by the FIA?
Alex AG
2024-12-01 17:26:14 +0000 UTCIt does dawn on me why we have penalties for Norris and Hamilton incidents, but as a fan, the severity of the punishments continue to be extremely confusing. I understand that consistency has been a buzzword lately, but this hasn’t been a great experience. Where were penalties of this severity for Lando, Max, and others throughout this season? It just looks terrible on behalf of the officiating.
Dalton Reck
2024-12-01 17:25:55 +0000 UTCWhy were there extreme penalties applied that have no precedent in recent F1 history. I get its a safety issue but Verstappen had a smaller combined penalty for 2 bits of dangerous driving in Mexico
Adam Barton
2024-12-01 17:25:18 +0000 UTCHow on earth can the FIA give Lando a penalty like that when their own incompetence could have cause accidents or more, could they be giving him a harsh penalty to take the eyes away from them ?
Hayden Hodgson
2024-12-01 17:22:59 +0000 UTCThe Norris penalty... was it justified, and how do we feel about drivers pushing their teams on the radio? Is this something that's always been present and we just haven't been hearing it on the broadcast or has it become more prevalent? And why have we started with these harsher penalties now?
Lewis Armstrong-Jones
2024-12-01 17:20:40 +0000 UTCThere seems to be a pattern of bizarre penalties being applied whenever Derek Warwick is a steward. Is this a concern for the teams and drivers at all?
Mark Martin
2024-12-01 17:19:11 +0000 UTCMBS somehow believes FIA actions are of no concern to the drivers… the disregard of duty to deal with the mirror appropriately will leave the drivers incensed & rightly so. How can MBS be left unchallenged ahead of the next election with the state of things as they are?
Stephen Camp
2024-12-01 17:05:22 +0000 UTCQuestion on behalf of George Russell, why DID they put the **** hards back on? Feels like an absolutely wild decision considering the circumstances
Michael Searle
2024-12-01 17:04:17 +0000 UTCHow on earth is this mirror situation fair? Both Hamilton and Sainz suffered. Did not removing it seal the constructor's for McLaren?
Lisastayfiercesmith
2024-12-01 17:01:33 +0000 UTCWhy wasn't a SC or VSC used to remove the wing mirror, we then saw a car hit and it caused more debris and cause two punctures. Race director seemed slow to react
David Saiya
2024-12-01 17:00:24 +0000 UTCWhere does Colapinto's career stand after his early races performance has faded away? Is this another Sargeant trajectory or just a rookie being initiated to F1?
Chris Atkins
2024-12-01 17:00:16 +0000 UTCBono said that Hamilton's car was 'underbalanced' on the radio. What does underbalanced mean?
Jake
2024-12-01 16:57:35 +0000 UTCHow much risk is the race director under of being fired by MBS, if they call out a safety car?
Gareth Anstee
2024-12-01 16:56:04 +0000 UTCThere seemed to be some palpable tension at Aston Martin during this race. How much of Alonso's spicy broadcasted message was him playing the game/being himself and how much of it was signs of more serious frustration?
Stranded_Colourwork
2024-12-01 16:36:33 +0000 UTCCan you explain the tweaks that are applied to a car, specifically what is the range of set up changes during FP, what adjustments can they make while in parq ferme, and then what tweaks can the driver make with controls during the race?
Professor Graz
2024-12-01 15:48:22 +0000 UTCIs it in the regulations for a driver to be given a 1 place grid penalty for an offence such as the one that Verstappen committed? We regularly hear of 3 or 5 place penalties but 1 place is quite rare as far as I can remember.
Mark Martin
2024-12-01 15:28:17 +0000 UTCDo you know how far Max was outside of the delta time in qualifying for the penalty. Putting this information in the stewards document might of helped to explain it.
Alex Hindley
2024-12-01 14:47:44 +0000 UTCAfter dismissing the driver's open letter pre-race today joining the long list of questionable actions is there any prospect of getting rid of Muhammed Ben Sulayem as FIA president or has he Sepp Blattered himself into getting a 2nd term by gaining votes among smaller member clubs around the world?
Lancelott
2024-12-01 14:45:02 +0000 UTCOn the formation lap for the sprint race, Russell rocketed away into the lead before eventually letting Norris back through to lead the pack around. Is this no longer illegal? I know in the BBV10s era it certainly was given the events of Silverstone 94, or am I misunderstanding that situation and how it differs from this one?
Max Camposano
2024-12-01 13:13:52 +0000 UTCIs this kind of circuit with this generation of car doomed to be a progressional race? Even the formula 2 race yesterday seemed stagnant until the tire strategy kicked in
Alex AG
2024-12-01 12:13:12 +0000 UTCWith the uptrend form of both Sauber Cars, can they finally get that crucial point here or in Abu Dhabi? And will this form go through the season break and take them maybe back into relatively point conditions over the next season with an Great Hulkenburg and an hungry, young Bortoletto?
Conner Williams
2024-12-01 12:11:09 +0000 UTCDo the stewards have a comms problem where they're damned if they do and damned if they don't with penalties? Or, is the fact that someone is annoyed by everything they do seen as an appropriate level of balance? The Max penalty seems a pragmatic response to me, but it seems to have angered a lot of people.
Simon Emms
2024-12-01 12:03:07 +0000 UTCFor similar but different reasons, I want to go to both Lewis and Checo and say "are you ok mate?" and just listen. They're both too good for what they're going through now.
Simon Emms
2024-12-01 12:00:08 +0000 UTCHow much longer can Muhammed Ben Sulayem continue in his role as FIA president? I imagine the teams and FOM will quietly be looking to oust him soon or do we have to wait for him to sack himself?
Ben K
2024-12-01 11:44:08 +0000 UTCWhen Qatar joined the calendar it was said the current track would be short term till one could be built downtown. I haven't heard much said about it since so I wondered if that was still the plan, and what's the progress, or if F1 had found its home at this circuit?
Ed R Gaming
2024-12-01 11:22:11 +0000 UTCI’ve seen Lewis quite demoralized after quali in the pen, saying he’s just not fast anymore. Do you truly believe that is the case, or has he simply checked out waiting for the new season? I know the topic has been discussed before, but the gap from Russell this weekend was baffling.
Rol4nd86
2024-12-01 11:16:41 +0000 UTCMaybe one for the tech show: Russel said he lost time during a lap on sprint qualifying because he went through a corner in 8th rather than 7th and it confused the map. I understand at a high level that the map dictates when clipping and recovery occurs but how sensitive are the maps if the driver selects the wrong gear or even cuts a corner or goes straight through a chicane? Can the driver reset the map at any point or is it something the pit wall does? Is it purely for clipping or are there other functions?
John Rellis
2024-12-01 11:15:45 +0000 UTCGiven the fast & abrasive nature of the circuit, wouldn’t this have been a good place for Pirelli to test the P0 compound?
Stephen Camp
2024-12-01 11:06:20 +0000 UTC
