Davidson Explains Piastri's Baku Crash

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri endured a challenging Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, marked by a qualifying crash and a race-ending incident at Turn 5. Sky Sports F1 analyst Anthony Davidson attributed Piastri's race crash to a combination of an anti-stall system issue at the start and misjudgment influenced by Nico Hulkenberg's braking point.

Why it matters:

Oscar Piastri, currently leading the drivers' championship, experienced an uncharacteristic weekend of errors in Baku, significantly impacting his lead over teammate Lando Norris. Understanding the root causes of these mistakes is crucial for McLaren as they aim to maintain their competitive edge and for Piastri to regain consistent form in a tight championship battle.

The Details:

• Qualifying and Chassis Issues: Piastri's difficult weekend began with a crash in qualifying, forcing him to start ninth with a replacement chassis.
• Race Start Problems: At the start of the race, Piastri jumped the start, encountered an anti-stall system issue, and momentarily lost engine power. Davidson noted, "The anti-stall message is brief on his dash. He would have felt that immediately as you release the clutch and the car doesn’t go anywhere and the engine just free-revs, momentarily."
  • This forced Piastri to re-press the clutch, causing his car to "jump violently" and lose multiple positions early on.
• Aggressive Recovery: Despite the chaotic start, Piastri quickly began making up positions, passing Albon at Turn 3 and Gasly at Turn 4.
• Turn 5 Crash: The pivotal moment occurred at Turn 5. Davidson believes Piastri was influenced by Nico Hulkenberg, who was attempting an overtake on a Haas driver in front.
  • "I think it in a way goads Piastri into thinking ‘that’s where I can brake.' But Hulkenberg runs wide himself, very wide actually," Davidson explained.
  • Piastri's attempt to follow Hulkenberg's braking line, which was deeper than ideal, led him into the barriers.
• Davidson's Analysis: While acknowledging Piastri's caliber, Davidson concluded, "The calibre that he is as a driver, leading the world championship, as difficult as this is, you shouldn’t really be expecting mistakes like that when you are at his level. So a really disappointing weekend."

The Big Picture:

Despite crashing out, Piastri still holds the lead in the drivers' championship, but his advantage over Lando Norris has shrunk to 25 points. Max Verstappen, with consecutive wins, is also closing the gap, now just 44 points behind Norris and 69 points behind Piastri. This incident highlights the intense pressure and fine margins in F1, where even championship leaders can be caught out by a series of unfortunate events.

What's next:

The focus for Piastri and McLaren will be on regrouping and learning from the Baku experience ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Addressing any underlying issues with the anti-stall system and Piastri's racecraft under pressure will be key to maintaining his championship bid and fending off the challenges from Norris and a resurgent Verstappen.