The thorny issues facing F1 over racing, qualifying and safety

The month-long break forced on Formula 1 by the war in the Middle East is a time for reflection after a controversial and incident-packed first three races following the introduction of the biggest rule change in history.

Even before the new cars ran for the first time, there was intense debate about the merits of a set of regulations that have created an entirely unfamiliar version of racing. That has continued since the season started.

Engines with a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power - complete with 'overtaking' and 'boost' modes - have led to accusations of artificiality.

Critics including four-time world champion Max Verstappen have likened the new F1 to the Mario Kart computer game, and gone as far as to call it "a joke".

At the same time, Lewis Hamilton has described his fight with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc during the Chinese Grand Prix as "the best battle" he has had for more than 10 years, and "like racing should be".

Hamilton, though, like all of the drivers, has misgivings about the way the new engines have diminished the importance of their skills.

And Oliver Bearman's frightening 191mph crash during the Japanese Grand Prix has focused minds on long-held concerns voiced by the drivers about the speed differentials inherent in the way the cars and rules operate.

Let's take stock of the lessons of the first month of the season, with regards to racing, qualifying and safety.

The way the chassis rules have been adapted to fit in with the demands of the new engines has changed the nature of racing in F1.

The need for both front and rear wings to open to increase the amount of energy harvesting possible meant a replacement was needed for the DRS overtaking aid, which had made passing easier since 2011. The result was modes known as 'overtake' and 'boost'.

'Overtake' mode gives a driver within a second of the car in front the ability to harvest 0.5 megajoules more electrical energy per lap.

In combination with the 'boost', which allows the driver to override the car's programmed systems to have maximum electrical energy on demand, this has led to what has been referred to as "yo-yo racing".

In the past, once a car overtook another, that tended to be that. This year, battles have been going on for several laps, with cars passing and re-passing, as the energy advantage switches between the two cars.

Verstappen has derided this as "anti-driving", but many of his colleagues have said they quite enjoy it.

Hamilton said: "If you go back to karting, it's the same thing. People going back and forth, back and forth - you can never break away.

"No-one has ever referred to go-karting as yo-yo racing. It's the best form of racing, and Formula 1 has not been the best form of racing in a long, long time."

Many others, though, are in the middle - recognising the superficial appeal of the new F1, but feeling uncomfortable about it at the same time.