Oscar Piastri took full responsibility for the accident that took him out of the race on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This incident cost him six points in the drivers’ championship, conceding ground to his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris.
After a crash in Saturday’s qualifying session, Piastri started from ninth position on the grid. However, by the first corner, he had already fallen to last place 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 on the outside of a group of cars at Turn 5, but crashed into the barriers.Piastri stated that there was no obvious reason for the two consecutive accidents, but found comfort in his overall performance during the weekend. The weekend in Azerbaijan was Piastri’s first in 2025 without scoring points, but given that Norris only managed 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. The McLaren driver said he is focused on improving and on the long road ahead in the championship.I think, ultimately, I misjudged the grip level. Probably a lot of that was due to the dirty air, but I know I have to expect the lack of grip.
Oscar Piastri
