Oscar Piastri took full responsibility for the accident that took him out of the race on the first lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This incident cost him six points in the drivers’ championship, being surpassed by his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. After a crash in Saturday’s qualifying session, Piastri started the race from ninth on the grid. However, he dropped to last place at the first corner because his car went into anti-stall mode after a false start. While trying to regain positions on the first lap, Piastri attempted to overtake a group of cars on the outside at Turn 5 and crashed into the barriers.
I think, ultimately, I miscalculated the grip level. Probably a lot of that was due to the dirty air, but I know I shouldn’t expect that lack of grip.
Oscar Piastri
The weekend in Azerbaijan was Piastri’s first in 2025 without scoring points. However, with Norris only obtaining six points by finishing in seventh place, the Australian still maintains a 25-point lead at the top of the standings, with seven races remaining.
