Overview

• The McLaren driver admitted he misjudged the start lights, triggering anti-stall before locking up and hitting Baku's Turn 5 wall on lap one.
• Stewards issued a five‑second penalty for jumping the start, and an FIA statement confirmed it will not apply at the Singapore Grand Prix.
• Despite retiring, Piastri remains 25 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris, with Max Verstappen now 69 points back after winning in Baku.
• Team principal Andrea Stella cautioned that Verstappen's resurgence narrows the margin for error and said McLaren must learn from Baku's reliability and operational issues.
• 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve branded Piastri's weekend "erratic," while Stella framed it as a one‑off and backed a swift rebound.