Piastri crashes out of Azerbaijan Grand Prix on opening lap, handing Norris a big title advantage

Oscar Piastri, the world championship leader, crashed out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the opening lap in Baku, ending his bid to widen his advantage. He arrived in the race 31 points clear at the top of the standings and had started ninth after a troubled qualifying session on Saturday.

The drama began at the start when the lights went out. Piastri jumped the start, then slowed before eventually getting away, leaving him stranded at the rear of the field as the rest of the pack streamed away. As he approached the fifth corner of the tight street circuit in Baku, the McLaren driver locked up and shunted straight into the barriers, bringing his race to a premature end and halting his 34-race streak of finishing Grands Prix.

Sky Sports F1 expert Karun Chandhok described the moment: "He has just locked up. He's just locked up and gone straight. He just sailed into the barrier. He just snatched the brake. I can't recall anyone hitting that barrier all weekend."

Both Piastri and Fernando Alonso were handed five-second time penalties for jumping the start, though FIA officials confirmed that Piastri's sanction would not carry over to the Singapore Grand Prix following his early exit from the race.

The result handed Norris a significant opportunity to close the gap in the standings as Piastri’s retirement ended his remarkable 34-race finishing streak. Norris’s position in the title race was reinforced by the dramatic early setback for his teammate, with the pair heading into the next rounds of the calendar in a markedly altered balance of momentum. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is run on a tight street circuit through the historic core of Baku, a layout that often produces moments of high drama and early-race incidents.