Piastri Acknowledges Verstappen’s Resurgence, But Remains Focused on Championship Lead
Baku, azerbaijan – Oscar Piastri concedes his recent errors have handed Max Verstappen a renewed opportunity in the Formula 1 World Championship battle, though the McLaren driver insists he isn’t overly concerned. A costly mistake during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, following a qualifying crash and poor start, allowed Verstappen to close the championship gap to 69 points with a victory – his second consecutive win.
Piastri, who started ninth and collided in turn five, took full duty for the incident. “I think that I eventually misjudged the grip levels.I probably lost that due to dirty air, but I know better than to expect the lack of grip. So I certainly don’t blame anything else. It was two simple mistakes on my part,” he stated.He acknowledged these errors directly benefited Verstappen’s title challenge.
Despite Verstappen’s momentum, piastri remains resolute. “I’m not going to write it away. But to be honest, I don’t worry too much about that,” he said, emphasizing his continued focus on his own performance.
The Dutchman’s back-to-back victories have ignited hopes of a championship comeback, perhaps mirroring some of Formula 1’s greatest point recoveries. Past comebacks include Kimi Räikkönen’s 56-point turnaround in 2007, Sebastian Vettel’s 44-point recovery in 2012, and Verstappen’s own 43-point comeback in 2022. Currently trailing by 104 points, a prosperous championship reversal by Verstappen would represent the largest comeback in Formula 1 history.
While teammate Lando Norris secured six points,limiting the damage,piastri recognizes the need to avoid further setbacks. “You will never feel great after such a weekend, but in the end I felt that the speed was still good this weekend, and I think it is indeed rare that I make so many implementation errors,” he explained. The upcoming races will be critical as Verstappen capitalizes on his regained form and Piastri strives to maintain his championship lead.
