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Oscar Piastri crashed out on lap one of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, ending his 34-race points streak and hurting McLaren’s title hopes.
A frustrated Oscar Piastri after his crash in Baku (X)
In an absolute shocker, world championship leader Oscar Piastri’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended in heartbreak on Sunday after the Australian crashed out on the opening lap, bringing an abrupt end to his remarkable run of 34 consecutive points finishes.
The McLaren driver was left stranded on the grid after a false start, dropping to the back of the field. Attempting to recover, Piastri lost control at Turn Five and locked up heading into Turn Six, slamming into the wall.
Thankfully, the 24-year-old walked away unhurt, but it was his first non-scoring race of the season.
The incident dealt a blow to McLaren’s hopes of sealing back-to-back constructors’ championships. The team needed to outscore Ferrari by nine points in Baku to clinch the title, with Piastri holding a 31-point lead over team-mate Lando Norris heading into the weekend.
Norris, who started seventh on the grid — two places ahead of Piastri — was running eighth when the Safety Car was deployed following the crash.
Up front, pole-sitter Max Verstappen made a clean getaway to lead for Red Bull ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Racing Bulls rookie Liam Lawson after the opening four laps.
(more to follow…)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
September 21, 2025, 17:39 IST
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