The FIA has been issuing "directives" warning drivers not to make public statements that could "bring the sport into disrepute." Lewis Hamilton called them "a step backwards." The Grand Prix Drivers' Association has written demanding clarification. The FIA has not responded.

McLaren looks like the team to beat. Oscar Piastri looks like the driver to beat. But Red Bull and Verstappen are never out of it. The governance crisis is a backdrop to what should be an extraordinary season.