<h2>Oscar Piastri Crashes in Horror Azerbaijan GP Weekend - Three Point Summary:&nbsp;</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>- Oscar Piastri crashed out on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, suffering his first retirement in 35 races</p> <p>- The Australian's championship lead remains at 25 points as rival Lando Norris failed to capitalise with a seventh-place finish&nbsp;</p> <p>- Max Verstappen dominated from pole position to claim victory at the Baku street circuit&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Oscar Piastri's championship hopes took a major hit after crashing out of Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.</p> <p>The Australian, who started from ninth place on the grid following a mishap in Qualifying, suffered a false start before going into the wall at turn six on the opening lap.&nbsp;</p> <p>Despite lamenting his own silly mistakes, Piastri maintains a 25-point advantage at the top of the Formula One Drivers Standings for 2025 after his McLaren teammate Lando Norris failed to capitalize on the opportunity to make up ground on his teammate and rival.&nbsp;</p> <p><br /> &nbsp;</p> <h2>Piastri’s Championship Lead Under Threat</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Azerbaijan Grand Prix delivered a dramatic blow to Oscar Piastri's Formula 1 title aspirations as the Melbourne driver crashed out on the opening lap at the challenging Baku street circuit. Despite maintaining his championship lead at 25 points with seven races remaining, the weekend represented a significant setback for the 24-year-old McLaren star.</p> <p>Starting from his lowest grid position of the season in ninth place, Piastri's troubles began immediately. The Australian jumped the start before the lights went out, then compounded the error by stalling and dropping to the back of the field. The nightmare continued when he overran turn six, sending his McLaren into the barriers and ending his race prematurely.&nbsp;</p> <p>Piastri later acknowledged it was not his finest moment, accepting that he anticipated the start too much, made a simple error, and misjudged the dirty air that contributed to the crash.&nbsp;</p> <p>This marked Piastri's first retirement in 35 consecutive races, dating back to last year's Miami Grand Prix. The crash capped off a horror weekend that saw his mechanics work overnight to rebuild his car after a qualifying crash at the same circuit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Norris Fails to Maximise Opportunity</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>McLaren teammate Lando Norris, Piastri's closest championship rival, was unable to capitalise on his Australian counterpart's misfortune fully. Starting and finishing in seventh position, Norris collected just six points, reducing his deficit from 31 to 25 points - equivalent to one race victory.&nbsp;</p> <p>Norris admitted he wanted more from the weekend and viewed each non-win as a missed opportunity, noting how difficult perfection is in Formula One.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Englishman's struggles highlighted the unpredictable nature of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with both McLaren drivers acknowledging the difficulty of their car on street circuits like Baku.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Verstappen Commands from Front&nbsp;</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Max Verstappen delivered a masterclass performance, converting pole position into his second Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory. The four-time world champion controlled the race from start to finish, opening up a commanding lead while chaos unfolded behind him.&nbsp;</p> <p>Verstappen described the weekend as incredible for the team and said the race felt straightforward despite the wind and constant movement of the car around the circuit.&nbsp;</p> <p>George Russell secured second place for Mercedes, while Carlos Sainz claimed the final podium spot for Williams - the team's best result of the 2025 season. The result keeps Verstappen mathematically in championship contention, sitting 69 points behind Piastri with a maximum of 199 points available.&nbsp;</p> <p>Despite the setback at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Piastri remains philosophical about his championship prospects, stressing there is still a long way to go and that one bad weekend does not decide the title.&nbsp;</p> <p>McLaren continues their march towards the constructors' championship, likely to seal the team title at the next race in Singapore, while the drivers' championship battle intensifies heading into the final stretch of the season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Will Oscar Piastri Win the F1 Drivers Championship in 2025?</h2>