McLaren star Oscar Piastri pinpoints what he’s ‘blaming’ for his costly Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash

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McLaren driver Oscar Piastri had an uncharacteristically error-prone weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri entered the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a 31-point lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

The Australian had scored points at every race this season, which is how he had built such a strong advantage in the drivers’ championship.

However, from the moment a chaotic qualifying session in Baku started, it looked like anything could happen this weekend.

Piastri brought out the sixth and final red flag on Saturday, crashing into the barriers on a flying lap and having to settle for a P9 start.

Norris failed to capitalise on the Australian’s error and only started two places ahead of him, but by the time Piastri entered the first corner, he was already at the back of the pack.

The 24-year-old dropped the clutch too early, resulting in a false start, but in an effort to try and correct his mistake, he immediately came to a standstill, which saw him fall behind all of his rivals.

Fans believe Piastri might be starting to feel the pressure, as before the end of the first lap, Piastri found himself lodged in the barriers.

However, the drivers’ championship leader spoke out immediately after the race and shared where he thinks the blame lies after his worst race event of the season.

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Oscar Piastri only ‘blaming’ himself after nightmare Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend

Piastri was interviewed by Sky Sports F1 as the race in Baku was still ongoing.

George Russell and Carlos Sainz joined Max Verstappen on the podium, with the Dutchman putting a dent in his championship lead.

Norris coming home in seventh means that a victory for the Brit would only put him level on points with his teammate, once again failing to capitalise on Piastri’s error.

Speaking after his accident, Piastri admitted: “Certainly not my finest moment. I just anticipated the start too much.

“A silly, simple error, really, with that.

“The crash – just didn’t anticipate the dirty air in the way I should have. Clearly went into the corner way too hot, and that was that.

“The grip level was low, but I should have known that.

“So, I’m certainly not blaming it on anything other than myself. Just didn’t make the judgment calls that I need to at the right time, and that’s obviously disappointing.”

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Andrea Stella makes Oscar Piastri comment after his Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash

McLaren could have wrapped up the constructors’ championship in Baku if results had gone their way.

They needed to outscore Ferrari by nine points, but Piastri’s crash and Norris’s lack of progress meant that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing eighth and ninth was enough to delay any celebrations until the Singapore Grand Prix.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella gave an explanation for Piastri’s crash.

He said: “Weekends like this can happen in a season.

“So far, Oscar, I think, has been the most solid driver in the 2025 campaign.

“So a one-off race can happen. I’m sure these are also the moments you get most of the learning.”