F1 Q&A: Norris, Piastri, McLaren and Red Bull covered

Lando Norris' dominant victory in Mexico has propelled him back to the top of the World Championship standings for the first time since April. However, with four races remaining, the title fight is far from over as Norris and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri are separated by just one point.

Piastri's recent form has been inconsistent, with a string of slow pit stops in Hungary and Italy contributing to his struggles. Norris' victory in Mexico can be seen as a result of his team's strategy, which involved switching to a one-stop strategy after falling back on the first lap. However, Piastri maintains that he was not favored by McLaren, stating that he had been driving differently due to car issues.

McLaren chief executive officer Zak Brown has repeatedly denied any favoritism between Norris and Piastri, pointing out that their struggles were largely due to external factors such as cooling system issues. Brown also highlighted the team's efforts in understanding the car's weaknesses and improving its performance.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen remains a threat, despite being 36 points off the lead. The team's recent improvement can be attributed to the leadership change, with new principal Laurent Mekies taking the reins. Verstappen credits Mekies for his team's success, stating that they have approached the problem as a "proper team effort."

As the championship approaches its climax, questions remain about the queuing system in the pit lane during qualifying. The FIA has not commented on why no sanctions were issued for Leclerc and Verstappen for their Turn One cuts, but experts suggest that both drivers had legitimate reasons for their actions.

Fans can now submit their questions to BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson through an online form.

so Norris is back on top and Piastri's just a point behind... what a shocker . I mean, it's not like McLaren's had a few "team issues" or anything . And let's be real, Verstappen's all smiles about his team's new principal... maybe he should've said that before they totally changed the game? . Anyway, can't wait to see how Piastri's "car issues" play out over the next few weeks . And yeah, who needs sanctions for Turn One cuts when you just have a pit lane queuing system... because that makes total sense .

omg i'm loving the drama in this season's champ fight!! lando norris is on fire and it's like he just got a magic boost from his team, but omg oskar piastri is not giving up yet his car issues are real tho. can't believe zak brown is saying mclaren's been fair, gotta agree with him tho. max verstappen's back in the game too and that leadership change at red bull has definitely paid off. what's up with those turn one cuts tho? leclerc & verstappen got some nerve anyway, can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

OMG, this championship is so tight! Lando Norris just threw down a sick win in Mexico and now he's all up in Oscar Piastri's grill I'm loving the drama between them, but at the same time, it's not like McLaren was being super secretive about their strategy, right? Zak Brown is like, "Hey, we're just trying to optimize our car," and I'm over here like "Okay, sure, buddy."

And can we talk about Max Verstappen for a sec? He's still in the mix, even though he's 36 points off the lead. The new principal at Red Bull is definitely paying off, but I'm curious to see how this plays out in the final stretch.

On a completely different note, have you guys noticed that qualifying has become SO much more intense? Those Turn One cuts are wild! And what's up with Leclerc and Verstappen getting away with it? Guess we'll just have to wait for the FIA to drop some info on that.

can't believe how crazy the pit lane queuing system is i mean, leclerc and verstappen basically cut lines like it's no big deal and the fia just lets them slide? what about all the other drivers who are actually following the rules? it's so frustrating when the top dogs get away with everything

OMG I'm so stoked for Lando Norris! He's been working hard with his team and it really paid off in Mexico . But at the same time, Oscar Piastri has some valid points about the car issues he was dealing with . It's not fair to say that McLaren was being unfair to him, especially when they did switch things up on the first lap to help Lando out . Max Verstappen's team is definitely getting stronger under Laurent Mekies though , and now I'm more worried than ever about who's gonna take the title!

I'm so over the way they're doing qualifying now queuing system is a joke in my opinion. Who needs to wait around for 15 minutes when you could just do what Leclerc and Verstappen did? It's not like it's going to make or break the championship, but it's just another example of how F1 is out of touch with the modern fan experience And can we please get some updates on McLaren's car issues? Norris' win was awesome, but let's get some info on what went wrong for Piastri

man i cant even believe its come down to this! lando norris is so dominant right now but at the same time oscar piastri is still in with a shout, separated by just one point its crazy how mclaren and red bull have been able to keep up the pace. max verstappen is definitely still in it too, his team has made some major improvements under new principal laurent meikes but queuing system in the pit lane during qualifying still seems kinda dodgy to me whats going on with leclerc and verstappen?

omg did u see that last gp in mexico? lando norris is on fire!!! i'm loving the way mclaren's been playing it cool, no drama with piastri, and zak brown's always got their backs. but seriously, who's gonna take the title now that max verstappen's closing the gap? i think red bull's on the rise with laurent mekies at the helm... meanwhile, queuing system in qualifying is still a bit of a mystery

I mean, Norris' win in Mexico is crazy, he's basically unstoppable right now! But the thing that really got me thinking is how much McLaren's strategy plays into his success. Like, they knew they were behind and just decided to roll with it? It's a bold move, but also kinda expected from a top team.

And Piastri's car issues are real, I feel bad for him. But at the same time, you can't help but wonder if he was getting some extra attention (or lack thereof) from McLaren. Zak Brown's trying to spin it as external factors, but come on, they're not exactly being super transparent about their team dynamics.

Red Bull's resurgence is also no joke - Max Verstappen's got a legit shot at the title now! And that leadership change has brought some new life to the team. I love how Mekies is bringing in a fresh perspective and getting everyone on the same page.

But let's get back to those pit lane issues... What's up with Leclerc and Verstappen cutting corners? Were they really that desperate? The FIA needs to clarify their stance ASAP. And what about Norris' pit stop strategy - was it just a coincidence or did McLaren have an inside edge? So many questions!

You know what's crazy? I just saw this video of a parrot that can mimic human conversations it's so realistic! The parrot's owner was talking to it and the parrot was responding with things like "good morning" and "I love you". It's like, wow, what kind of intelligence do these birds have? I wonder if they could be trained to do some pretty cool tricks... oh wait, back to F1

OMG, this championship is getting so tight! I'm literally on the edge of my seat watching these guys battle it out . Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are neck and neck, and I think what's making it even more intense is that McLaren and Red Bull aren't giving any hints about their strategies or team dynamics . And can we talk about Max Verstappen for a sec? He's still in the game despite being 36 points behind, and credit to him for staying focused and working with his new principal . What I'm curious to know is, what's up with that pit lane queuing system during qualifying? FIA hasn't said anything about Leclerc and Verstappen getting away with their Turn One cuts

I'm loving this season of F1! Norris' win in Mexico was amazing , and it's so great to see him back on top! Oscar Piastri's struggles are a bummer though , but I think McLaren is doing a solid job trying to iron out the car issues . Max Verstappen's comeback is really interesting - that new principal might just be the spark he needs ! The queuing system in the pit lane does need some work, though... who knows what actually happened with Leclerc and Verstappen? Anyway, can't wait for the rest of the season to unfold!

omg u guys piastri is getting salty about the favoritism claims i feel like he's being a bit dramatic his car issues are legit tho, no one likes slow pit stops but at the same time i think norris was super lucky with that strategy switch it was def a clever move by mclaren anyway im loving the title fight so far, can't wait to see what happens next

I'm kinda surprised they're not making more of the pit lane queuing system drama. It's been a hot topic all season, and yet it's been pretty much ignored by the FIA. And let's be real, those Turn One cuts from Leclerc and Verstappen weren't exactly subtle - you saw 'em go in . I mean, if they were legit reasons for cutting into another driver, that's great, but shouldn't there be some kind of consequence? It's all about safety and fairness, right?

I think it's so cool that Norris is back on top! His win in Mexico was super impressive , and I love how he worked with his team to get that one-stop strategy going . But, omg, Piastri's struggles are really concerning - four races left and the points gap between them is only one point?! It's like, what could go wrong next? And don't even get me started on the pit lane queuing system... I mean, who gets to cut corners in Turn One without getting sanctioned? Red Bull's improvement under new principal Laurent Mekies is awesome tho - they're really showing their team effort . Can't wait for the rest of the season!

I'm still in shock over Lando's comeback ! I mean, the guy's been on fire lately and it's awesome to see him at the top of the standings again. But at the same time, Oscar's struggles have got me thinking - is he just being unfairly held back by McLaren? Those slow pit stops in Hungary and Italy were brutal... And now Piastri's saying that car issues were the real problem, not strategy. I wish we knew more about what's going on behind closed doors. Still, with four races left, anything can happen! Max Verstappen is still a force to be reckoned with and I love how he credits Laurent Mekies for Red Bull's improvement. The FIA needs to clarify the pit lane queuing system tho... it was pretty reckless of Leclerc and Verstappen to cut corners like that

OMG , this championship is getting so intense! Norris and Piastri are like two sides of the same coin right now, with Norris dominating after that strategy switch & Piastri struggling due to car issues . But I gotta say, Piastri's not having it, saying he's been driving differently & McLaren didn't support him . Meanwhile, Verstappen is still in the mix despite being 36 points off lead – that new principal Laurent Mekies must be doing something right! And now the FIA is letting Leclerc and Verstappen off scot-free for those Turn One cuts? To me, it's all about strategy & who can adapt best to the car . Can't wait to see how it all unfolds in the next 4 races!

I'm loving the suspense in this championship fight! Norris' victory was definitely a result of his team's clever strategy, and it's crazy how Piastri is still in the mix despite struggling with car issues . But what's really interesting is how the FIA isn't taking action against Leclerc and Verstappen for their pit lane shenanigans... I mean, we've all been there, right? Maybe they're just trying to stir up some drama before the championship is crowned? The queuing system is definitely a topic of discussion among fans - it's hard to justify no sanctions when you're already in hot pursuit!