Even Schumacher had weekends like Piastri, McLaren chief insists

The McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, has backed Oscar Piastri to come back strongly after crashing out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, noting pointedly that even the seven-time champion Michael Schumacher made similar errors.

- Giles Richards

Piastri leads the world championship but he endured a shocking weekend in Baku, where the race was won by Max Verstappen from pole. Piastri crashed out in qualifying leaving him ninth on the grid and on Sunday he made a false start and the car entered anti-stall, dropping him to the back of the field.

Chasing places on the opening lap, he then misjudged the lack of grip in the dirty air from the field ahead as he entered turn five and could not turn in quickly enough at the 90-degree left-hander and his car went front first into the barriers, ending his race.