The drivers championship fight has grown closer as Formula 1 heads into this weekends Belgian Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli holds a 25 point advantage over Mercedes colleague George Russell while Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton sits seven points further back.

Ahead of action at Spa Francorchamps BBC Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson addresses your latest queries.

I cannot picture Max Verstappen joining McLaren. The squad avoids naming a clear leader and last season Verstappen mocked their balanced approach to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri including the Monza pit stop swap. Verstappen would reject any instruction to yield position for fairness as seen in Brazil 2022. Would his arrival not fracture McLaren? - Tim

McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown has worked hard to play down any near term move for Verstappen. At the British Grand Prix Brown noted recent discussions with Verstappens representatives led nowhere expressed satisfaction with the current lineup and stated he could not provide a race seat.

Even so Verstappen and his team are reviewing possibilities and McLaren remains under consideration. Verstappen remains tied to Red Bull through 2028 yet a performance clause could allow an exit after this season. That clause activates only in October leaving time for decisions and sources confirm no choice has been made.

Should Verstappen choose McLaren Brown would need to release either Norris or Piastri. McLarens core principle centers on equitable treatment allowing drivers to compete while stepping in only under defined conditions as occurred several times last year.

This differs from Red Bulls historic style yet mirrors the Mercedes approach another squad Verstappen has contacted. Neither team plans to alter its methods for Verstappen and he would likely welcome the chance to outperform any teammate.

Any squad signing Verstappen would accept added management demands but teams prize results above all. Verstappen delivers top level performance with unmatched consistency. For McLaren facing new challenges as a customer engine outfit that reliability could prove highly valuable.

Lewis Hamilton at 41 has claimed victory for Ferrari while Fernando Alonso at 44 regularly surpasses his younger teammate and could win given comparable machinery. Have cars become simpler or do certain drivers retain elite skill longer? - Matthew

Modern grands prix impose less physical strain than in the mid 2000s when refueling tire wars and nonstop flat out racing prevailed. Tire and energy management now moderate demands.

Driving an F1 car remains intensely physical and both Hamilton and Alonso maintain peak fitness. The true barrier with age is mental provided physical capability holds. Drivers often lose the drive to push limits in a high risk setting.

Top performance requires total commitment to extract maximum from every lap regardless of competitiveness. Hamilton and Alonso retain that passion and excel through exceptional talent as two of the sports finest ever. Few others have matched this feat underscoring how remarkable their achievements are.

Spa ranks among the greatest circuits. What qualities define it and how might the 2026 cars suit the track? - Clive

Spa Francorchamps venue for this weekends Belgian Grand Prix earned classic status through its demands on drivers. Whether the original eight mile layout or the 4.3 mile version used since 1983 it features flowing high and medium speed corners matched by few venues. Only Suzuka rivals it on the calendar though Monaco stands apart in its own style.

Eau Rouge remains iconic a fast left right sequence into a compression that sends cars uphill over a crest known as Raidillon. In dry qualifying conditions with low fuel it counts as easy flat yet still reaches 200 mph and tests courage. Wet conditions restore its full threat.

Pouhon the fast downhill double left now serves as the standout corner taken flat in recent top cars but likely not this season. The sequence of long connected corners gives Spa its character much like Suzuka.

Former driver Mark Webber noted a lap felt like traveling somewhere recalling old road courses that followed natural terrain and linked public roads. Spa originated that way though former public sections including Eau Rouge and Kemmel Straight now sit fully within the circuit.

These tracks carry inherent risk. Spa stays hazardous even today as shown by the 2019 Formula 2 fatality of Antoine Hubert and the 2023 Formula 4 loss of Dilano Van t Hoff. Rain common in the Ardennes heightens danger. Drivers recognize this element which adds intensity. Verstappen calls it his favorite yet notes wet qualifying brings extreme conditions. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff describes Spa as proof F1 remains a gladiatorial contest.

With renewed Iran US tensions what steps if any is the FIA taking regarding possible cancellation of the seasons final races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi? Losing two more 2026 events would disappoint fans. - Roger

Middle East conflict creates uncertainty for races after September yet F1 stays calm about Qatar and Abu Dhabi season finales. US Israel and Iran relations shift weekly. A prior ceasefire has given way to fresh strains.

F1 has until late September or early October before freight deadlines for the Middle East so immediate concern is unnecessary. Bahrain rescheduling into the Azerbaijan Singapore gap requires clarity by end of July that regional conditions allow a race. Current signs suggest that remains unlikely.

What failed on Kimi Antonellis car at Silverstone and why? - Alan

Antonellis British Grand Prix win hopes ended when the front left wheel shield detached and jammed in the wheel. The shield directs airflow for cooling and aerodynamics. After the first pit stop mechanics returned the car without fully addressing the issue. The second stop allowed removal restoring normal steering.

Downforce and pace suffered noticeably. The team later traced the failure mainly to heavy kerb use and high speeds at Silverstone. Antonelli appeared set to overtake Charles Leclerc for victory before the problem. George Russell observed the issue balanced prior reliability setbacks for both Mercedes drivers making the current 25 point championship gap a reasonable summary of their campaigns.