Oscar Piastri faced a challenging Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend as the Formula 1 championship leader crashed out on the very first lap. The McLaren driver’s difficulties began right at the start, where he locked up his brakes into Turn 4 and hit the barrier after a poor getaway had dropped him from ninth place to last.
The issues began when Piastri stopped at the race start to correct his jump off the lights, costing him critical positions and setting the tone for an error-filled event. This crash ended his impressive streak of scoring points in 34 consecutive races.
Ongoing Struggles Throughout the Race Weekend
Piastri’s problems extended beyond the race itself. During the first practice session (FP1), a power unit problem limited his running significantly. In FP2, he finished in 12th position after clipping the wall at Turn 15. Although he managed to secure third place in the final practice, his performance remained unstable, with slides reported at Turns 1 and 4.
Qualifying was also difficult, as Piastri crashed in Q3 but still qualified ninth. These compounding errors contributed to a frustrating buildup that culminated in the race incident.
Piastri Reflects on Mistakes and Mental State
After the race, Piastri acknowledged how unusual the weekend’s mistakes were for him and shared his thoughts on what caused the difficulties. He explained,
“There’s not been anything that’s different and I think for me that’s – it depends how you want to look at that, but for me, if I felt like I was in a completely different headspace then it’s kind of easier to blame it on that and also a problem to rectify,” Oscar Piastri, McLaren
He added,
“This weekend’s felt like any other weekend. Just unfortunately there’s been far too many mistakes from start to finish.”
He further commented on his frustrations:
“Every single session has been messy. So, yeah, just trying to clean that up is the important thing for the future.”
Maintaining a Lead Despite the Setbacks
Despite the difficult weekend, Piastri still maintains a 25-point lead over his title rival and McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who finished seventh but also struggled throughout the race. Piastri is not panicking, emphasizing that the errors he made are not a common occurrence for him this season.
He conveyed a sense of measured confidence, stating,
“Obviously, you’re never going to feel amazing after a weekend like this but, ultimately, I felt like the pace has still been good this weekend and I think it’s rare that I have so many executional errors,” Oscar Piastri, McLaren
“So, very much focused on putting that behind me. I would be much more concerned if these errors were because I was trying to make up time or do things like that. So, I think they should be, obviously being costly errors, things that can be very, very easily rectified.”
Max Verstappen Capitalizes with Victory in Azerbaijan
The race was ultimately won by Max Verstappen, the reigning four-time world champion, who secured back-to-back victories following his previous success at Monza. Verstappen’s win keeps him firmly in the championship hunt, trailing Piastri by 69 points, particularly as Red Bull has shown significant improvement over the last two rounds.
Regarding Verstappen’s challenge, Piastri expressed cautious respect but remained focused on recovery, saying,
“I’m not going to rule him out,”
“But I’m honestly not too concerned with that, I’m just trying to bounce back from this weekend and put in the best performances that I can.”
“I know that if I get back to where I know I can be then I’ll be more than okay. So that’s what I’m going to focus my energy on.”
Implications for the 2025 Championship Battle
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix highlighted the pressures facing Oscar Piastri as he leads the Formula 1 championship heading into the final seven races of the 2025 season. Errors that have seldom affected him in the past now serve as warnings to streamline his performance. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s recent form indicates the title fight will remain intense and unpredictable.
As the season progresses, Piastri’s ability to rectify mistakes and regain his dominant form will be critical to maintaining his advantage over close competitors like Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. The coming rounds will test the resilience and focus of all leading drivers in their pursuit of the championship.
