Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, BBC Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson addresses reader questions on McLaren's internal driver battle, focusing on why Oscar Piastri has fallen well behind team-mate Lando Norris this season despite finishing runner-up in last year's championship. The gap matters because it raises questions about Piastri's title prospects and whether Norris's new contract extension signals a shift in team dynamics, even though McLaren insists the issue is technical rather than political.

Piastri currently sits seventh in the standings, 55 points and three places behind Norris after 12 rounds, with Norris having won the last two races. While their qualifying pace is close (Norris only 0.071 seconds faster on average) and their head-to-head is 12-4 in Norris's favour, Norris has been far more convincing in races. Team principal Andrea Stella attributes this to Piastri struggling more with this year's lower-downforce, lower-grip cars, requiring him to consciously adapt his driving style rather than relying on instinct, which costs him tenths of a second – a technical rather than psychological explanation, according to the team.