P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri has been “driving erratically” all weekend, according to 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve
1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Oscar Piastri is “feeling the pressure” after a rare mistake in qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Piastri crashed out in Q3, causing the sixth red flag of the chaotic session at the Baku City Circuit. Fortunately for Piastri, F1 title rival Lando Norris will start from seventh due to a poor final effort in Q3. Villeneuve pointed out on Instagram that Piastri has been “driving erratically” all weekend, amid a string of errors from various drivers, including the two McLarens. Piastri, the current championship leader, faces tough competition but has a 31-point lead over Norris. Max Verstappen starts from pole position, not in title contention, sitting 94 points behind the lead McLaren, while Piastri gets a new chassis for the race. Although he will start from ninth, McLaren replaced his damaged chassis with an identical specification, following sporting regulations allowing such changes without penalty for genuine accident damage or failure. In the past, Piastri won the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a bold overtake on Charles Leclerc for the victory.
