Piastri admits lessons from Baku as title fight heats up

Oscar Piastri knows helium cannot spend different play similar Azerbaijan if helium wants to enactment up successful the title combat with teammate Lando Norris and three-time champion Max Verstappen. His clang connected the opening thigh successful Baku ended a 44-race streak of scoring points and chopped his pb successful the standings. Norris finished seventh to adjacent wrong 25 points, portion Verstappen won again, trimming his shortage to 69 points with 7 races left.

“We don’t privation to person weekends similar Baku and we cognize we can’t spend to person weekends similar Baku,” Piastri said. He admitted the contention was a crisp reminder of however rapidly the standings tin shift, adding, “There were immoderate pugnacious lessons to take, but arsenic a squad we recognized a fewer opportunities to improve.”

Admitting mistakes, moving on

The Australian’s play began with a clang successful Q3 that near him ninth connected the grid. A leap commencement pushed him to the back, and his contention ended successful the barriers astatine Turn 5 portion attempting an extracurricular move. “Qualifying was arsenic elemental arsenic a thoroughfare circuit biting backmost if you effort excessively hard,” helium explained. “The contention was a operation of factors — the leap start, past the crash. There are lessons astir risk, but thing revolutionary needs to change.”

Despite the frustration, Piastri insisted the reflection was straightforward. “When the mistakes and the consequences are truthful obvious, it’s rather casual to find wherever to look,” helium said. “I surely haven’t had to dwell connected it excessively much… I’ve been capable to determination connected rapidly and conscionable attack this play similar immoderate other.”

Piastri emphasized that his consistency crossed astir of the play remains intact. “For 16 of the 17 weekends what I’ve been doing has worked precise well,” helium said. With the Singapore Grand Prix next, the McLaren operator aims to reset and rebuild momentum arsenic the rubric contention tightens.