rewrite this title Oscar Piastri eyeing opportunities to make up places in a potentially chaotic F1 Azerbaijan GP

Oscar Piastri is hopeful of opportunities at the 2025 Azerbaijan GP to recover positions after a difficult qualifying session. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, the McLaren driver felt that the unpredictable weather and chaotic nature of the Baku street circuit could allow him to climb back up the order.

In a dramatic qualifying marked by a record six red flags, Piastri clipped the wall during his final run in Q3, causing severe front-end damage to his McLaren. The incident has left him starting ninth on the grid, two places behind his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris, in seventh.

Despite the setback, Oscar Piastri remained optimistic that the combination of weather, tire strategies, and the inherently chaotic nature of racing in Baku could create opportunities. He also noted that the gusty winds, which played havoc during qualifying, could influence the outcome. The 23-year-old added that with few drivers attempting race simulations during practice, the race itself could provide openings for him to recover lost ground.

When asked by Sportskeeda if the chaotic nature of the Baku street circuit could open up some opportunities, Oscar Piastri said:

“Um, potentially, I mean, you know, also not many people have done long runs. this weekend, so the strategy’s kind of up in the air a little bit. That gives us opportunities. So we’ll have to wait and see.”

Asked about the weather and windy conditions affecting the running, he added:

“Yes, I think so. Having it this windy is very tough, adding the compounds. You know, I think everyone expected the medium to be a good step better. In the end, I don’t really think it was. So, yeah, a bit of an interesting dynamic from that side as well, but yeah, if you add in wind, kind of a tire, uncertainty, a little bit of rain, cold conditions on a street track like this and stuff’s going to happen as you’ve seen.”

Oscar Piastri believes that his shunt in Azerbaijan GP qualifying was his fault

Oscar Piastri believed that the McLaren had strong pace in qualifying but admitted that pushing too hard in tricky conditions led to his crash. Speaking after the session, the Australian explained that the mix of weather variables and tire compounds made it difficult to piece together a clean lap. The McLaren driver acknowledged that he had already been struggling through the practice sessions and was left disappointed with how his qualifying ended. While reflecting on the shunt, he admitted that uncertainty over whether it was the rain, wind, or a sudden gust that ultimately tipped him into the wall.

Asked about his disappointing session, Piastri said:

“I think, yeah, yesterday was a bit of a struggle, definitely. I think today I felt much happier with the car and the job I was doing. You know, it was just a bit difficult to get it all together. That was the biggest thing, but the potential was there.

“Whereas yesterday, it was arguable it was. So I think I was much happier today, just ultimately, I think tried a bit too hard in turn three. I haven’t actually looked at what I did differently because I didn’t feel like I did that much differently, but, you know, a tiny bit can make a massive difference. So yeah, obviously disappointed with how it unfolded.”

Asked if the light rain factored into his lap when he had the shunt, Oscar Piastri replied:

“There was a bit of rain around, yes, so I don’t know if that contributed, I don’t know if I got gust, the wind, you know, I don’t know.”

Despite starting ninth on the grid, Oscar Piastri will line up close to his title rival, Lando Norris. The Australian was joined in Q3 drama by Charles Leclerc, who also clipped the wall and will start directly behind in tenth. McLaren confirmed that Piastri will race with a new chassis following his crash in qualifying, though he will not be forced to start from the pit lane. Under Articles 27.1 and 40.2.j of the FIA regulations, drivers whose cars suffer genuine accident damage may be granted permission by the FIA Technical Delegate to avoid a pit-lane start. Piastri has been granted that exemption, allowing him to maintain his grid position.

As it stands, the McLaren driver leads the championship by 31 points over teammate Norris and 94 points ahead of pole-sitter Max Verstappen. McLaren also tops the constructors’ standings by 330 points and is widely expected to secure the title in Azerbaijan.

About the author

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Niharika Ghorpade is a journalist who covers Formula 1 and NASCAR at Sportskeeda. Hailing from a motor-racing background, she stands out as one of the few Indians with a presence in the F1 paddock and holds the distinction of being the only Indian female journalist in the sport. Niharika holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Additionally, her expertise includes a good understanding of SEO and journalism guidelines and a passion for crafting engaging narratives for readers.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam