Oscar Piastri’s crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has abruptly interrupted his championship momentum, opening the door for Max Verstappen to narrow the points gap. The 2024 season leader suffered a harsh weekend in Baku, crashing out early and putting his title lead under fresh pressure as Verstappen seized back ground with consecutive victories.
Former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve observed that the incident has punctured Piastri’s previously unshakable confidence, raising questions about his resilience during this critical phase of the season.
The Challenge of Baku for McLaren and Piastri’s Struggles
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was McLaren Racing’s toughest race in recent memory, with both of its drivers underperforming drastically. Piastri’s qualifying error and first-lap crash ended his day early, while teammate Lando Norris failed to convert Piastri’s misfortune into valuable points, thus missing a key opportunity to close the championship gap.
Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen capitalized on the situation, winning successive grands prix and trimming his deficit to Piastri from 104 points down to 69. Verstappen’s more reliable RB21 car and consistent form make him a growing threat as the season advances.
Villeneuve emphasized the need for McLaren to stay vigilant, warning that Verstappen is prepared to apply relentless pressure.
“Azerbaijan has actually kept or put Verstappen in the hunt and Verstappen doesn’t crack under pressure and he will put an extreme amount of pressure on the two McLaren drivers and the team,”
he commented.
Examining the Pressure on Piastri and McLaren’s Performance Flaws
Villeneuve noted Piastri’s erratic driving throughout the Azerbaijani weekend, a surprising drop-off for a championship leader with a substantial margin. According to the former champion, the pressure of being the “hunted” weighed heavily on Piastri’s performance, undermining his usual composure.
“It was a very bad show both from Piastri and from Norris, even more so from Piastri,”
Villeneuve stated.
“You could tell that Piastri was on the edge all weekend for some reason. His driving was erratic from Friday onwards, the mistake in qualifying the mistake on the grid followed by a mistake right away on the first lap he wasn’t in it. … We have often said being the hunted, being the prey is a very difficult pressure to carry. And it’s really affected him, this weekend anyway, which is crazy.”
He further warned of increased pressure looming if Piastri experiences another poor weekend soon.
“You just need another weekend like this, and the pressure is on even more. We’ve always perceived Piastri as being this cold, immovable block. But that’s not what we saw this weekend.”
Not Just Piastri: Norris and the Team Also Faltered in Baku
Villeneuve highlighted that the failures in Baku extended beyond Piastri, encompassing Norris and the McLaren team as a whole. Norris’s errors were less severe but still costly, including a disappointing qualifying performance and a lackluster race.
“The curious thing is it was the two drivers and the team,”
Villeneuve explained.
“There was no sparkle particularly from Norris all weekend. His mistakes were less costly because he didn’t hit the wall, but he should have qualified at least P2. Then he just went a little bit wide, messed up and then had a lacklustre race. It was incredible.”
How Piastri’s Recovery May Shape the Championship Battle
The true test now lies in Piastri’s ability to respond to this setback as the season progresses. Villeneuve remarked that occasional failures are part of every champion’s journey, but the recovery process distinguishes the best drivers from the rest.
“Piastri’s crash showed that his bubble there was a bit burst,”
Villeneuve said.
“Is it a one-off? Everyone can have a moment of down like this. It doesn’t matter how strong you are.”
He also underlined that even Verstappen has had off weekends, reflecting the challenging nature of sustaining peak performance throughout an entire season.
“Even Max has had some weekends where we’re like, OK, maybe that one was a little over the top!”
Villeneuve poses a critical question about Piastri’s future form: whether he can regain the calm and unshakable demeanor he once showed after being pushed to the limit in Baku. The outcome could shape the closing stages of the championship as Verstappen’s resurgence looms as a serious title threat.
