F1 fans are all saying one thing about Oscar Piastri after ‘nightmare’ Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash

Oscar Piastri has suffered a disastrous weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as he crashed out on the opening lap.

The Aussie has been utterly faultless in 2025 as he came into Baku leading the championship by 31 points. But the McLaren star has made some extremely rare mistakes this weekend, starting with a crash in Q3.

Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw multiple drivers find the barriers, with the championship leader being the last to do so at turn three. Jolyon Palmer was baffled by Piastri’s crash, feeling that he carried too much speed into the corner.

Lining up P10 with teammate Lando Norris in seventh, the Aussie had his work cut out on the narrow street circuits to climb through the field. But Piastri jumped the start, which saw him drop to last place.

His miserable weekend came to an end at turn five as he locked the front of his MCL39 and slammed into the barriers. The safety car was brought out as Piastri fails to score points for the first time in 2025.

F1 fans think Oscar Piastri has opened the championship battle after his ‘nightmare’ Azerbaijan GP crash

Crashing out in Baku was the last thing the championship leader needed, especially when Norris had closed the gap at Monza. F1 fans felt the same way as they reacted to the Aussie’s accident on X (formerly Twitter).

“What a nightmare for Oscar,” said one fan. “Don’t think I’ve seen a bad weekend quite like this one for Oscar Piastri. This is NOT the time to start cracking under the pressure man!” wrote another.

Many saw this as a great opportunity for Norris to catch up, as one fan said: “Thank God he’s alright! But this is a huge blow to the championship fight.”

Another added: “A massive opportunity for Lando Norris now. The title pressure seems to have got to Oscar Piastri this weekend, and if the gap reduces, it’ll only build and build.”

Piastri has shown a steely demeanour throughout the season, but some think that that is starting to crack: “The “Piastri cool under pressure” gimmick is so fake there is literally no pressure until you get to the crunch of the season anyway,” said one user.

Finally, another echoed: “Wow, iceman Piastri not quite as pressure proof as we all thought. Championship battle back on.”

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Are McLaren favouring Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri in the 2025 title fight?

Piastri’s DNF in Baku is the latest twist in the tale in the 2025 championship fight. It gives Norris the perfect chance to edge closer to his teammate and keep his title hopes alive.

The Brit was allowed to gain points on his teammate after McLaren controversially used team orders at Monza to favour Norris after a botched pit stop. Paddock insiders felt Piastri had the right to be upset, even if he did not complain publicly.

Many people in the paddock believe that McLaren may be favouring Norris over Piastri with their team orders. There is no evidence to support that theory, but the incident at Monza suggests that the Brit is getting better treatment.

Helmut Marko backs Piastri as the ‘favourite’ for the 2025 title over Norris, but his chances will certainly have been dented after his Baku crash. It will be telling as to how the Aussie will recover from this major setback.