Did Piastri’s crash strewn weekend in Baku burst his bubble?

Never shy of strong opinions, Villeneuve said Piastri’s mistakes across the Baku weekend suggested the pressure of leading the 2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship is beginning to show. JV argued that Verstappen’s win in Azerbaijan has reignited the title battle, with McLaren showing unexpected cracks.

After the Baku race on Sunday, Villeneuve ventured: “Azerbaijan has actually kept or put Verstappen in the hunt and Verstappen doesn’t crack under pressure. He will put an extreme amount of pressure on the two McLaren drivers and the team. It was a very bad show both from Piastri and from Norris, but even more so from Piastri.”

He was blunt in his assessment of the Australian’s performance: “You could tell that Piastri was on the edge all weekend for some reason. His driving was erratic from Friday onwards, the mistake in qualifying, the mistake on the grid followed by a mistake right away on the first lap. He wasn’t in it."

The Canadian continued: “It was really odd because he’s got quite a big lead. But we have often said that being the hunted, being the prey, is a very difficult pressure to carry. And it’s really affected him, this weekend anyway, which is crazy. Now, compared to Norris, he didn’t lose many points."

Villeneuve warned: "You just need another weekend like this, and the pressure is on even more. We’ve always perceived Piastri as being this cold, immovable block. But that’s not what we saw this weekend.”

Villeneuve added that Piastri’s crash may not necessarily mark a long-term trend: “Piastri’s crash showed that his bubble there was a bit burst. Is it a one-off? Everyone can have a moment of down like this. It doesn’t matter how strong you are. Even Max has had some weekends where we’re like, OK, maybe that one was a little over the top!”

The 1997 World Champion pointed out that it was not just Piastri who looked unsettled in Baku. “The curious thing is, it was the two drivers and the team. The whole thing. Not just one aspect. There was no sparkle particularly from Norris all weekend.

"His mistakes were less costly because he didn’t hit the wall, but he should have qualified at least P2. Then he just went a little bit wide, messed up and then had a lacklustre race. It was incredible.”

For Norris, Villeneuve sees a looming strategic dilemma if Verstappen’s resurgence continues. “The issue for Lando Norris is if Max Verstappen gets closer and closer at some point the team will have to start favouring Piastri, and make him number one.

"Then, suddenly, the championship fight will not be against a teammate anymore but will be against a driver from a different team and a tough one. And the best driver in the world. Norris is in a really tough position now.”

Despite McLaren’s setbacks in Baku, Villeneuve does not believe Norris’s title challenge is over: “Norris hasn’t blown his chances yet. Both McLaren drivers are quick. But it just depends on how they rebound from this weekend. It’s not a spiral that they can afford to stay in. Because Max Verstappen will not relent. Max will be there.”

With Piastri still holding a strong lead but Verstappen closing in, Villeneuve’s warning sets the stage for a high-pressure run-in to the final races of the season.