Piastri Reflects on Monza Team Orders and Azerbaijan Struggles

Oscar Piastri has admitted that the controversial team orders at the Italian Grand Prix, where he was asked to yield second place to Lando Norris, significantly impacted his performance and mindset, particularly during the subsequent disastrous Azerbaijan GP weekend. This period marked a critical downturn in his 2025 Formula 1 world championship bid.

Why it matters:

McLaren's decision at Monza, asking Piastri to swap positions with Norris due to a pitstop delay, despite Piastri's protest about the policy change, highlighted an internal dynamic. Piastri's subsequent struggles in Baku, including a qualifying crash and first-lap retirement, reveal how psychological factors can profoundly influence a driver's performance, especially in high-stakes championship battles. This sheds light on the often-underestimated mental toll of team politics and on-track incidents.

The Details:

• Monza Incident: Piastri was asked to return second place to Norris after they had swapped due to Norris's pitstop delay. Piastri acknowledged the request but noted on team radio that it seemed a deviation from previous policy, stating 'a slow pitstop was part of racing.'
• Azerbaijan Downfall: At the next race in Baku, Piastri experienced his 'worst weekend ever in racing.' He crashed in qualifying, jumped the start, and retired on the first lap of the race, following a ragged practice session.
• Mental Impact: On F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, Piastri explicitly linked his Baku struggles to Monza, stating, "Ultimately a combination of quite a few things. Obviously the race before that was Monza, which I didn't feel was a particularly great weekend from my own performance, and there was obviously what happened with the pitstops."
• Self-Reflection: Piastri admitted to overdriving and not being happy with his performance in Baku, trying to compensate for the prior events.

The big picture:

Piastri's championship bid has seen a dramatic shift. He led Norris by 44 points and Max Verstappen by 104 points after the Dutch GP. However, six rounds of pace struggles and errors, starting with the Monza team orders angst, have reversed his fortunes. This period includes significant incidents like the Interlagos crash and penalty.

What's next:

Heading into the final three races, Piastri now trails Norris by 24 points and is only 25 points ahead of Verstappen. This turn of events underscores the fine margins in Formula 1 and how a driver's mental state, influenced by team decisions and on-track performance, can dictate the trajectory of their season and championship aspirations. The focus will now be on how Piastri recovers his form and confidence to finish the season strongly and prepare for future challenges.