Piastri says McLaren had pace for Baku podium before Turn 1 mistake

Oscar Piastri said McLaren had the pace to finish on the podium at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but a mistake under braking for Turn 1 ended his challenge. The Australian had been running third before going off at the restart and recovered to finish 14th.

Starting third, Piastri passed Charles Leclerc to take second place on the opening lap. Max Verstappen later moved ahead of him at the restart following Alex Albon’s crash, but Piastri remained in contention for the final podium place.

A second Safety Car period followed the collision involving Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly and Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris. At the restart, Piastri locked up into Turn 1 and took the escape road. By the time he rejoined, he had fallen to 15th. He gained one position before the finish, but the podium opportunity was gone.

Piastri described the result as “very disappointing” and said McLaren had the pace to reach the podium. His assessment reflected a weekend in which the team had found more performance after a difficult start. Following qualifying, when he secured third on the grid, Piastri said: “The car felt much more connected and the upgrades are working as we expected them to.”

The Australian had also recognised the challenge posed by the front-running Mercedes. “I think catching George Russell might be tricky,” he said after qualifying. “We are still in a good position to fight – we’ll manage our strategy carefully, see what opportunities may appear and make the most of it.” His position in the race gave him that chance until the Turn 1 error.

Norris retired after being caught in the collision involving the two Alpine drivers. With Piastri outside the top ten, McLaren left Baku without points.

George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing 0.196 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Isack Hadjar took third, the position Piastri had held before his mistake.

F1 today: FAQ

When is the next F1 race after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes place at Sepang on Sunday, 4 October 2026. The race starts at 08:00 BST, 03:00 US Eastern time and 15:00 in Malaysia.

Who leads the 2026 F1 championship after Baku?

Kimi Antonelli leads with 302 points, 66 ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell, who has 236. Russell reduced the gap by 15 points with his Azerbaijan GP victory.

What penalty will Franco Colapinto serve at the next F1 race?

Colapinto has a five-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after causing the Baku collision involving Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.