Oscar Piastri faced a challenging weekend at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with his championship lead taking a hit after a race-ending crash that has prompted in-depth Oscar Piastri crash analysis. The Australian driver’s difficulties began after a false start and were complicated by his collision with the wall during the race, raising questions about whether Nico Hulkenberg’s actions contributed to the incident.
How Piastri’s Difficult Start Led to His Crash
McLaren entered the Azerbaijan GP aiming to solidify their lead in the Constructors’ Championship, but the hopes suffered setbacks when both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris crashed out in qualifying. Piastri’s troubles worsened at the race start when he jumped early, triggering the anti-stall system and falling to the back of the field. Despite recovering several positions initially, his race came to a premature end when he locked up at Turn 5 and crashed into the Tecpro barrier.
The Role of Nico Hulkenberg in Piastri’s Incident
Sky F1 commentator Anthony Davidson highlighted a possible indirect influence from Nico Hulkenberg, who was driving ahead of Piastri in a Sauber, suggesting Hulkenberg’s positioning may have “goaded” Piastri into braking later than advisable. Davidson described how Hulkenberg’s wide move around an Haas driver might have misled Piastri’s timing, causing him to misjudge the braking point that ultimately led to his collision with the wall.
“It didn’t put him off initially,”
remarked Davidson about Piastri’s false start.
“He was quick to start making positions again. He took it easy through Turn 2. Like Max [Verstappen] was saying in the driver cooldown room, everyone was just sort of taking it pretty easy on these cold tyres at the start of the race.”
— Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 commentator
“But he was up to speed by the time you get to Turn 3, and getting past [Alex] Albon in the Williams straight away into that corner. And then he’s on the attack with [Pierre] Gasly on the right hand side as well. Picks up another position there, around the outside of Turn 4 he goes.”
— Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 commentator
“Now he’s got the Hass there of [Esteban] Ocon and slots in behind him. This is where it all goes wrong, in Turn 5. So what I believe happens here is that he’s got Hulkenberg in front of him, trying to make a move around the outside of one of the Hass drivers, and I think, in a way, goads Piastri into thinking, ‘That’s where I brake.’ But Hulkenberg runs wide himself, very wide, actually.”
— Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 commentator
“I think it’s that moment, to give Oscar some credit here, or some let off, is that I think he’s just following in another driver that is also going quite deep, and you sort of judge the gap between yourself and the other car, and I think that’s what’s caught him out here, and that’s what’s ultimately ended up in the barrier.”
— Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 commentator
“So I think if the car in front of him, Hulkenberg, had been a bit easier on the brakes, naturally, that would have made Oscar brake a bit earlier as well.”
— Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 commentator
Despite this assessment, Davidson emphasized that Piastri’s experience and status as the World Championship leader make such an error unexpected, even on a tough day.
“But, giving him excuses there, the calibre that he is as a driver leading the World Championship, you shouldn’t, as difficult as this day is, you shouldn’t really be expecting mistakes like that when you’re at his level,”
he added.
Piastri Accepts Responsibility for His Mistakes
In the post-race debrief with Sky F1, Oscar Piastri did not mention Hulkenberg’s role and accepted full responsibility for his misjudgments. He admitted to anticipating the start too early, which caused the false start, and acknowledged a crucial error in handling the dirty air while approaching Turn 5. This led him into the corner too fast and caused the crash that ended his race.
“And then the crash, just didn’t anticipate the dirty air in the way I should have, and clearly went into the corner way too hot and that was that.”
— Oscar Piastri, McLaren driver
When asked if his aggressive attempt to regain positions after the poor start contributed to the crash, Piastri agreed it was a factor but insisted he should have been aware of the low grip level.
“So, certainly not blaming it on anything other than myself, just, yeah, didn’t make the judgment calls that I needed to at the right time. And that’s obviously disappointing.”
— Oscar Piastri, McLaren driver
Impact on Championship and Team Standings
While Piastri faced a rough race, his teammate and title contender Lando Norris managed to finish seventh despite difficulties throughout the weekend. This finish helped prevent a more significant blow to McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship prospects, but the team’s quest for the title has become more complicated following these setbacks.
Oscar Piastri’s lead over Norris has now narrowed to 25 points, with only seven rounds remaining in the season. The incident in Baku stands out as a critical moment that could influence the trajectory of both drivers’ title hopes and the McLaren team’s championship ambitions.
What’s Next for Piastri and McLaren?
This challenging weekend underlines the fragile nature of Piastri’s campaign as he faces mounting pressure from rivals like Max Verstappen and his own teammate. The lessons from the Azerbaijan GP will be crucial as he attempts to avoid further errors and strengthen his title defense in the upcoming races.
McLaren’s focus will likely turn towards repairing confidence within the team and maximizing performance to regain their advantage in what remains of the season. Despite the frustration surrounding the crash, the team and Piastri remain key players in the championship fight, making every decision and move in future rounds vital.
