Overview

• After hitting the wall in Q3 and starting from the fifth row, Oscar Piastri jumped the start, triggered anti-stall and retired in a lap-one crash in Baku.
• Stewards handed Piastri a five‑second penalty for the false start, and FIA regulations confirm it will not be converted into a grid drop for Singapore.
• The retirement snapped his runs of 44 consecutive race weekends finished and 34 straight points, leaving him 25 points clear of Norris with seven rounds to go.
• Lando Norris finished seventh as McLaren missed an opportunity to clinch the constructors’ title in Azerbaijan.
• F1 analyst Christian Danner argued McLaren should prioritize Piastri as its number-one driver for the title run-in.