McLaren Unfazed by Piastri’s Rare Baku Crash Incident

McLaren boss not worried about Piastri’s rare Baku crash

“A one-off for someone who has been probably the most solid driver in this season.” – Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal

Oscar Piastri crashed out on the very first lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after hitting the barrier.

But his team boss isn’t concerned at all about this unusual mistake from the young Australian.

“I’ve worked with multiple-time champions and in every season, even the most dominant ones, even with one of the best drivers in Formula One history like Michael Schumacher, I’ve seen events like this,” Stella explained.

These things happen when conditions get tricky, he added.

“As soon as you misjudge the grip available, you get highly punished.”

The crash ended Piastri’s impressive streak of 44 consecutive race finishes – a testament to how reliable he’s been since joining F1.

Stella emphasized this was just a bad weekend that every great driver experiences.

“This has happened to pretty much all champions, even the ones with the best track record,” he said.

## Championship standings after Baku

Max Verstappen won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, further stretching his championship lead.

He didn’t slow down after Baku either. The Dutch driver headed to Germany last weekend where he claimed his first GT3 victory at the legendary Nordschleife circuit.

Verstappen now sits 69 points ahead of Piastri in the drivers’ standings.

Lando Norris, Piastri’s McLaren teammate, is currently 25 points behind Verstappen and still in contention for the title.

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