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Oscar Piastri labeled it a "disappointing" end as he crashed out of the final qualifying session at Baku for the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He was running in contention for pole position before missing out on the braking zone and heading into the wall at turn three.
The qualifying session at Baku turned out to be quite chaotic for the drivers as there was a record number of red flags owing to the multiple incidents that took place on the circuit. Multiple drivers brushed the wall, lost front wings, and also crashed out.
World championship leader Oscar Piastri had the same fate as he pushed out on his final run in Q3. He missed out on the braking zone and hit the wall into turn three, ending his session early without a competitive time on the charts.
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Reacting to his crash, the Australian mentioned that it was a "disappointing" end to the session.
"Yeah just thought it was too much [speed heading into the corner]," he told the media. "I braked a little bit late. I need to go back and have a look but obviously a disappointing end. I felt like the car was good and the pace was there just... disappointing the way it ended."
It was a tough day for McLaren overall as his teammate, Lando Norris, also missed out on pole position, managing only a P7 start for the race.
Oscar Piastri expects to gain crucial points for the championship on Sunday
Even though Norris wouldn't be starting in pole position, this shunt could hamper Oscar Piastri's championship lead. The two drivers have been quite competitive throughout the season; however, Piastri has still managed to keep the lead.
When asked about the expectations from the race, he mentioned that he would prefer gaining a few places early to extract the maximum positives from the race. Moreover, he also mentioned that the car has been as per his preferences throughout the weekend.
"I hope so, we'll see where qualifying shakes out first but yeah, I'll go back and have a look. I've been much happy with the car today which is a good thing. So yeah, hopefully can pull some progress tomorrow."
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are separated by 31 points in the championship currently. While the team had a chance to clinch the Constructors' Championship in this race, the possibilities have now reduced. They would have to outscore Ferrari by nine points, but with them dropping out of the top-five, it would be a difficult task to do the same.
