Piastri Seeks Comeback After Accident in Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying
The championship leader, Oscar Piastri, anticipates an opportunity to regain ground after his unexpected crash that sidelined him from qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Piastri, at a crucial moment in the Q3 session, lost control of his car and crashed into the wall at turn 4, an uncommon error for the driver who leads his teammate, Lando Norris, by 31 points in the general standings.
Despite the adverse conditions, with strong winds and rain, Piastri avoided justifications.
“I felt much better today, but I think I pushed a bit in turn 3. I haven’t reviewed what I did differently, because I didn’t feel like I did anything very different, but a small detail can make a big difference. I am disappointed with my performance,” declared Piastri.
Oscar Piastri
Piastri will start from ninth position on the grid on Sunday, his worst position since the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix, where he started in 17th place.
“There was some rain, I don’t know if that influenced it, or if it was a gust of wind, but I’m not one to blame external factors, and I will stick to that until I see something that tells me otherwise,” he added.
A positive aspect for Piastri is that Norris failed to capitalize, brushing the TecPro barriers at Turn 15 and qualifying seventh.
This means that the McLaren drivers will have to advance in a race with high demand. Piastri commented that he sees opportunities on Sunday, although he regretted the situation. He also pointed out that the strategy could be uncertain due to the lack of race simulations, which could generate opportunities.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull seems to be the favorite, after securing pole position in a mixed grid, with Carlos Sainz of Williams in second place and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls in third.
