Oscar Piastri admitted he was left disappointed after crashing out of Q3 at the F1 Azerbaijan GP, bringing an early end to what had looked like a promising qualifying session in Baku. The McLaren driver will start ninth on the grid for Sunday’s race after failing to set a representative time.
From struggles to signs of progress
Piastri revealed that Friday’s practice sessions at the F1 Azerbaijan GP had left him frustrated, but he felt far more comfortable behind the wheel come qualifying day. Car balance looked to be tough on Friday.
“I think, yeah, yesterday was a bit of a struggle, definitely,” he explained. “I think today I felt much happier with the car and the job I was doing. You know, it was just a bit difficult to get it all together, that was the biggest thing, but the potential was there. Whereas yesterday, it was arguable what it was. So, I think I was much happier today, just ultimately I think tried a bit too hard.”
Despite his crash at Turn 3, the Australian insisted he had not felt he was taking undue risks.
“I haven’t actually looked at what I did differently, because I didn’t feel like I did that much differently. But, you know, a tiny bit can make a massive difference. So, yeah, obviously I’m disappointed with how I performed.”
Tricky conditions in Baku
Qualifying in Baku was repeatedly disrupted by red flags and changing conditions, which caught out several drivers. Piastri admitted the elements added to the challenge of managing McLaren’s upgraded car.
“There was a bit of rain around, yes, so I don’t know if that contributed. I don’t know if I got a gust of wind, you know, I don’t know. But at the moment, I’m never one to blame it on something other than myself. And that’s what I’m going to stick with until I see something that tells me otherwise.”
The Australian also pointed to the complexity of the tyre choices as another factor. “Yes, I think so,” he said when asked if these were the most difficult conditions of the year. “Having it this windy is very tough. You add in the compounds, you know, I think everyone expected the medium to be a good step better. In the end, I don’t really think it was. So, yeah, a bit of an interesting dynamic from that side as well. But, yeah, you add in wind, kind of a tyre uncertainty, a little bit of rain, cold conditions on a street track like this and stuff’s going to happen as you see.”
Missed opportunities, but hope for Sunday
With Verstappen taking pole and Lando Norris only managing seventh after a mistake, Piastri was left to reflect on what might have been.
“Potentially, but, you know, more disappointed in, you know, you could also argue that it was a good opportunity to make progress. But, you know, what’s done is done and try and score some, pull back some points tomorrow.”
The chaotic nature of qualifying, which featured six red flags, has left teams with limited long-run data. For Piastri, that opens the door to opportunities on Sunday.
“Potentially, I mean, you know, also not many people have done long runs this weekend, so the strategy is kind of up in the air a little bit. That gives us opportunities, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
