P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri has admitted that losing out in McLaren’s controversial team orders call at the Italian GP was playing on his mind in his subsequent disastrous Azerbaijan GP weekend that really sent his 2025 F1 world championship bid spiralling downwards
Oscar Piastri admitted that the team orders situation at the Italian Grand Prix affected his performance at the Azerbaijan GP, resulting in a disastrous weekend that negatively impacted his championship bid in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Following McLaren’s request for Piastri to hand back second place to Norris at Monza, Piastri ended up crashing during Azerbaijan qualifying and the race, in addition to jumping the start and struggling in practice.
Piastri acknowledged that the issues at Baku were a combination of factors, including the previous race at Monza and difficulties with performance and handling throughout the weekend.
Despite not directly blaming McLaren’s team orders for his poor showing, Piastri’s comments indicated that the situation unsettled him and contributed to a loss of confidence in his driving.
Since winning at Zandvoort, Piastri has faced challenges with pace and errors, leaving him trailing Norris by 24 points and only 25 points ahead of Verstappen in the championship standings.
