Oscar Piastri has acknowledged that he cannot afford another mistake like the one he experienced at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix if he wants to maintain his lead in this year’s world championship. The Australian driver faced a difficult weekend in Baku, where a first-lap crash combined with a jump start pushed him to the back of the grid, significantly impacting his championship campaign.
Heading into the Singapore Grand Prix, Piastri’s lead has been narrowed to 25 points with seven races remaining. While his McLaren teammate and main competitor, Lando Norris, managed only a seventh-place finish, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is trailing by 69 points after securing consecutive wins, intensifying the title fight.
Reflecting on the Challenges Encountered in Baku
Piastri described the Baku weekend as a tough experience but underlined the importance of learning from setbacks to strengthen future performances. He stressed that the team identified several areas for improvement, which is crucial for maintaining their competitive edge.
“We don’t want to have weekends like Baku and we know we can’t afford to have weekends like Baku,”
Piastri told reporters.
“Certainly from my side of things there was some tough lessons to take but I think as a team we kind of recognised a few opportunities from the weekend to try and improve. So that’s always an important thing.”
“Baku was quite a good reminder of firstly how quickly everything can change but also on some of the things that have made the season so successful for myself and the team.”
“So I think just trying to stay focused on that will naturally take care of the championship picture.”
Oscar Piastri on Moving Past Mistakes and Learning about Risk
Addressing the errors from the Azerbaijan race, Piastri stated his approach to risk management needs refinement, though he does not foresee any drastic changes to his driving style. His overall performance across the season remains strong, with this particular weekend considered an exception.
“There’s some lessons about how I can deal with that better and just lessons on risk I guess is the best way to put it. There’s nothing revolutionary that I think needs to change or that I am going to change,”
Piastri explained.
“For 16 of the 17 weekends what I’ve been doing has worked very well. If I make sure I stay focused on the things that have gone well then it will continue to go that way. Nothing revolutionary. I’m just putting it down to some mistakes.”
Piastri also emphasized his ability to move on quickly from errors, highlighting the clarity that comes with obvious mistakes which simplifies the process of reflection and adjustment.
“I think it was relatively easy to move on from actually,”
he said.
“I think in some ways because the mistakes were so obvious, you leave every weekend trying to find how you can improve. But there’s some weekends, normally the ones that go well, where it’s a bit more difficult to find where it’s possible to improve.”
“But also if you don’t have a clear idea of where things went wrong then often the hardest part is finding where to start. I think when the mistakes and the consequences are so obvious it’s quite easy to find where to look. I think the reflection on that has been pretty straightforward and I feel comfortable coming back in now.”
“I certainly haven’t had to dwell on it too much, the lessons are there but I’ve been able to move on from it quickly and just approach this weekend like any other weekend.”
Looking Ahead to the Remainder of the Season
With the championship battle tightening, Piastri’s focus remains on consistency and minimizing risks to capitalize on the strengths that have brought him to the top of the standings. His reflections on the Baku setback demonstrate a calm and measured approach to overcoming adversity as the season approaches its final stages.
The upcoming rounds, including the Singapore Grand Prix, will test Piastri’s ability to apply these lessons under pressure, shaping the trajectory of both his championship hopes and McLaren’s title ambitions.
