Recently, the BWT Alpine F1 Team rookie, Oscar Piastri was on the receiving end of a high-pressure performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He went on to call it “the worst weekend I’ve ever had in racing.” The Australian driver had been through so much. He suffered a bad false start, crashed on the first lap, and faced a myriad of issues that all but crushed his hope of claiming the title. This stormy eventful race has proved a significant milestone in Piastri’s season. Now, he is 24 points behind teammate Lando Norris, with just three rounds remaining to race.
The first of this series of calamities came during qualifying as Piastri crashed, allowing an unfortunate foreshadowing of the day’s events to take place. Given he started from the back of the grid due to an engine replacement, he made a shocking false start, prompting heavy questioning immediately. Even worse, he crashed on the very first lap, adding to the disaster. To the tireless McLaren team’s credit, they immediately went to work. They even commanded Piastri to return his place to Norris, underscoring the savage internal politics of the team.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Piastri’s disasters in Azerbaijan were cruel departures from the quality he had shown this season up to that point. Prior to the Grand Prix, he qualified within the top three a staggering 14 out of 16 races. This remarkable run made him one of the fiercest challengers. At one point, he was 34 points clear at the top of the drivers’ championship. His disastrous doubleheader in Baku was a loss that cost him critical points that he can’t get back. Now, that lead has fallen to only 31 points.
The young driver acknowledged that the pressure from the previous race may have contributed to his poor performance in Baku. Liam recalled his comments after the controversy surrounding his biff with Kimi Antonelli in Brazil and how that might have gotten to him. This blunder resulted in a 10 second penalty which removed him from the podium, probably messing with his mental state as he approached Azerbaijan. Piastri himself called it a perfect storm of several ingredients. These factors combined to create a lethal blow to his race.
Championship Implications
Now that the season is headed toward the end of its first act, the ramifications of Piastri’s awful day in Baku are far-reaching. With three rounds left in the championship, he now sits 24 points back of Norris after 18 races. Regardless of this minor failure, Piastri remains well in the contention for the drivers’ championship title. If he places P2 for the rest of the races, he might still win the championship!
It’s been a tumultuous 2023 season thus far for Piastri — exciting, and at times deflating — but every moment has contributed to his growing hype. Protecting his blindside after a strong start, his recent struggles have ignited conversation about the team’s cohesion and performance when facing adversity. McLaren’s team orders and the relationship between Piastri and Norris may play crucial roles as they navigate the final races together.
Looking Ahead
With only three races left in this season, Piastri is ready to get back on track and back into form. He’d be ready to jump on any opportunity to eat into cricket’s lead over Norris. Whatever he’ll take away from Baku is sure to teach him how to be stronger in the future. Since taking office, he’s made no secret of his resolve to get past this very tough stretch and stay in the competition.
