After the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri discussed the race-defining lock-up into Turn 1, positive takeaways, and valuable lessons from a rollercoaster weekend.
Starting the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP from P3 on the grid. Piastri was off to a great start to when he overtook Leclerc to claim P2 off the line. The McLaren driver defended P2 against the fast-charging Red Bull duo, who followed closely behind and put pressure on the Australian.
The 25-year-old stayed ahead of both Red Bulls until the first safety car restart, where Max Verstappen seized the opportunity and charged past the McLaren driver. While defending his position from Isack Hadjar following the second restart, Piastri locked up into Turn 1 and dropped out of the points. While he recovered some positions, he ultimately finished P13, outside the points.
Piastri on his race-defining lock-up in the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP
Speaking in the print media pen after the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP, Piastri was puzzled by the lock-up that unraveled what had otherwise been a solid performance from the Australian.
“I need to look because I mean it was a bit weird just locking up both fronts instantly like that. I didn’t think I did anything spectacular.
“Obviously, I was on a different line to what I normally would be, defending.
“So I don’t know if I was on a crown in the road or something, but it certainly was a surprise to me.”
Positive takeaways
While finishing P14 might not have been the result Piastri hoped for after a strong showing, up until that fatal lock-up, during the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP weekend, the McLaren driver still took some positives from the weekend.
He named the ability to extract more “lap time” and his driving as one of the main positive takeaways from the weekend, even if the lack of result was “painful,” according to Piastri.
“I think in general, I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve been more comfortable, but I’ve been able to get more lap time out of the car. I’ve been able to understand which direction I need to go in with my driving, especially.
“And I think apart from one moment in the race, I feel like it’s been a weekend much more at the level I expect from myself.
“From that side of things, it’s been much more encouraging. Just obviously, it’s pretty painful to not have anything to show for it yet.”
What if’s
Considering Piastri managed to keep both Red Bulls behind for a good chunk of the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP, the race turned into a question of ‘what could have been?’ had it not been for the race-defining lock-up into Turn 1 of the Baku City Circuit. After already having lost position to Max Verstappen following the first safety car restart, Piastri reckons he might have ended up in fourth, as it might have proven challenging to keep Isack Hadjar behind on the medium compound tyre.
“Once Max got ahead, I was never going to get back past, but it would have been interesting to see if I could keep Hadjar behind. I think, to be honest, it probably would have been tough.
“We didn’t seem… well, it’s hard to tell on the medium because they were pretty heavily flat-spotted.
“I didn’t feel anywhere near as good on the medium as I did on the soft. I think potentially we could have been P4.
“It’s one thing saying we could have been and one thing where you actually finish.”
Difficulties with the 2026 F1 cars and learnings to take from the Azerbaijan GP weekend
With the new generation of cars, born out of the 2026 F1 regulations, drivers have gone through a steep learning curve trying to get on top of the machinery to extract maximum performance out on track. For Oscar Piastri, it hasn’t been the easiest journey, with the Australian noting that the new generation of cars require the driver to be at “101%” at all times to extract the most from the package.
During the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP weekend, Piastri didn’t necessarily feel more “comfortable” inside the MCL40, but could reach the level required to extract performance.
For Piastri, the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP weekend thus served as a valuable lesson for future rounds.
“It’s definitely different to what we’ve had the last couple of years, especially last year. I think the previous cars, especially in the race, you drove at 99%, and you had to look after the tyres a little bit, and driving at 99% was the fastest way to drive.
“With these cars, it feels like you have to be at 101% all the time, and as soon as you can’t be, then you just hemorrhage lap time.
“That’s why I say it’s not necessarily been more comfortable this weekend, but I’ve been able to get to that 101% or 100% a bit easier.
“I feel like I’ve definitely learned some interesting things this weekend to take forwards, but it’s still a learning process for sure.”
