Oscar Piastri: The mistake that denied me a podium at the F1 Azerbaijan GP was "somewhat strange."
McLaren Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri referred to his late-race blunder during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as “a bit strange,” after he relinquished a podium position in Baku.
Piastri was in third place following the second safety-car restart, facing pressure from Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar after Max Verstappen had overtaken him at the initial restart.
While trying to defend his position on the inside at Turn 1, the Australian experienced a significant lock-up and veered off track, plummeting from third to 15th – the second-to-last spot in the tightly packed field.
“I need to review it, because it was a bit odd to lock up both front tires like that so suddenly,” Piastri remarked. “I didn’t think I was doing anything out of the ordinary. Clearly, I was on a different line than usual while defending. So I’m not sure if I hit a bump in the road or something, but it certainly caught me off guard.
“Once Max got ahead, I knew getting back past him was unlikely, but it would have been intriguing to see if I could keep Hadjar behind me. Honestly, it would have been challenging. It’s hard to judge on the medium tires since they were heavily flat-spotted, but I didn’t feel nearly as confident on the mediums as I did on the softs.
“I think we could have potentially finished fourth. It’s one thing to say ‘we could have been there,’ and another to see where you actually end up.”
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Piastri has faced challenges throughout the season with F1’s 2026-spec cars, but in Baku, he managed to outshine his teammate Lando Norris; the 25-year-old matched his best qualifying performance of the season with a third-place start and was on the verge of claiming his first podium finish since Miami.
“Overall, I wouldn’t say I’ve been significantly more comfortable, but I’ve been able to extract more lap time from the car,” he elaborated. “I’ve gained a better understanding of the direction I need to take with my driving.
“Aside from one incident during the race, this weekend has felt more aligned with the level I expect from myself. From that perspective, it’s been much more promising. However, it’s certainly frustrating not to have any results to show for it yet.”
So, what specific changes did Piastri need to make in his driving approach?
“In the previous cars, particularly during the race, you operated at 99%,” he explained. “You had to manage your tires a bit, and driving at 99% was the best way to go fast.
“With these vehicles, it seems like you need to be at 101% all the time, and if you can’t maintain that, you lose significant lap time. That’s why I mention it hasn’t necessarily been more comfortable this weekend, but I’ve found it easier to reach that 101% or even 100%.
“I feel like I’ve certainly picked up some valuable insights this weekend to carry forward, but it remains a learning journey.”
Additional reporting by Kemal Sengul
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