Hülkenberg Triggers Piastri’s Baku Crash – The aftermath of the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix continues to be a topic of discussion, particularly the incident that caused World Championship leader Oscar Piastri to crash out of the race in Baku. While many initially blamed the McLaren driver, a new perspective has emerged. It has since been suggested that Nico Hülkenberg’s actions may have indirectly contributed to the incident that ended Piastri’s race.
It appears that Piastri was influenced by the line and braking of the car ahead. Specifically, Hülkenberg, who was attempting to overtake a Haas, applied the brakes very late, which may have distracted or influenced Piastri’s judgement at a critical moment.
Davidson’s theory of distraction
The suggestion by former Formula 1 driver and now Sky analyst Anthony Davidson is that Nico Hülkenberg’s actions may have been a contributing factor, albeit indirectly, to the moment that brought about the end of Piastri’s race.
He described the scenario in detail, explaining that Hülkenberg had attempted to overtake a Haas driver on the outside and braked late, forcing him onto a wider trajectory than optimal. Piastri, following closely behind, appeared to use Hülkenberg’s braking as a reference point. The McLaren driver then misjudged the corner entry, leading directly to his collision with the barriers.
“In front of Piastri is Nico Hülkenberg, who wants to pass a Haas on the outside,” Davidson told Sky Sports. “I think that makes Piastri think, ‘I can brake there too.’ But Hülkenberg overbraked and had to take a wide line.”
Davidson further defended Piastri, suggesting that it is not unusual for drivers to judge their braking based on those around them.
‘To defend Oscar a little, he’s orienting himself on another driver who’s also going very deep into the corner. He’s judging the distance to the car in front, and that’s exactly what caused him to hit the wall here.”
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A different outcome with earlier braking?
According to Davidson, the outcome could have been very different had Hülkenberg approached the corner with a more conventional braking point.
“If Hülkenberg had braked earlier, Piastri would have done so too. But at his level, as the championship leader, one shouldn’t really expect such mistakes.”
This is where the broader criticism arises. While Piastri has built a reputation for clean, precise driving, his performance in Baku told a different story. Multiple errors plagued his progress, and Davidson was among those taken aback by their accumulation.
A weekend of mistakes
However, the Australian driver’s problems did not begin with his accident at Turn 5. During qualifying, Piastri was involved in an incident that compromised his grid position. His troubles continued at the start of the race, when he had a false start that attracted the attention of the stewards and resulted in a five-second time penalty.
Davidson noted that these errors were atypical for a driver who had previously been regarded as one of the most reliable in the field.
“I can’t remember the last time Oscar Piastri made so many mistakes in a single weekend,” he said, echoing the surprise of many in the paddock.
How the jump start unfolded
The details of Piastri’s jump start provide further insight into his challenging weekend. Davidson explained that Piastri realised immediately that his launch had gone wrong.
“He immediately senses that nothing will happen if he releases the clutch: the engine revs up and the car doesn’t move. Then he has to press the clutch again and try again. But the car starts violently because the revs are no longer right. That’s why he loses so many positions.”
Such a mistake inevitably results in a penalty, and Piastri was indeed issued a five-second sanction. Yet Davidson praised the way the driver composed himself afterwards, immediately setting about regaining positions despite the setback. His recovery effort, however, was short-lived. By Turn 5, the crash had rendered any penalty irrelevant, as his race was over.
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Pressure of leadership?
The underlying question is whether Piastri’s errors were caused by the pressure of leading the World Championship. While Davidson did not draw any firm conclusions, his surprise at the errors suggests that the Australian may be experiencing psychological challenges in this unfamiliar territory. A driver unaccustomed to being in the spotlight might experience the weight of expectation differently, particularly in a tight championship fight.
Another factor to consider is the track itself. Baku is notorious for punishing even minor errors, with its narrow corners and unforgiving barriers. Several drivers have fallen foul of the street circuit’s challenges over the years, and Piastri’s crash could be viewed as part of that broader pattern.
Hülkenberg’s role revisited
What remains intriguing is Davidson’s defence of Piastri in light of Hülkenberg’s actions. The Haas driver was not at fault in the strictest sense, but by braking late and forcing a wider line, he may have unintentionally set a trap for the car behind.
Racing at this level often comes down to tiny margins, and the split-second decision to follow another driver’s reference point rather than trust one’s own instincts can be costly.
Nevertheless, as Davidson himself noted, a championship leader is expected to remain immune to such distractions. This duality lies at the heart of the debate: was Piastri simply unlucky in his reaction to the circumstances around him, or did he experience an uncharacteristic lapse in concentration that revealed the strain of competition?
For McLaren, the Baku weekend was a setback. Piastri’s exit meant valuable points were lost, and while his teammate tried to maximise his own result, the team had expected both cars to be in a strong position. As the season progresses, the question will be how quickly Piastri can move on from this episode and whether this will be a one-off anomaly or a sign of the growing pressure in the title race.
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The Formula One paddock has turned its attention from the streets of Baku to the demanding challenge of Singapore. Red Bull arrive on the back of two consecutive victories, which have reignited hopes of a late-season surge. Max Verstappen’s victories have reduced his deficit in the Drivers’ Championship to 69 points and boosted morale within the Milton Keynes team.
Yet the optimism is tempered. While team advisor Helmut Marko has spoken enthusiastically about the upswing, team principal Laurent Mekies has urged caution. The Frenchman insists that Red Bull will continue to take each race as it comes, rather than focusing on the points table. “We are really taking it race by race and not looking at the standings,” he explained….. READ MORE
Thiago Treze is a Brazilian motorsport writer at TJ13 with a background in sports journalism and broadcast media, alongside an academic foundation in engineering with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This combination of technical knowledge and editorial experience allows Thiago to approach Formula 1 from both a performance and narrative perspective.
At TJ13, Treze covers driver performance, career developments, and key storylines across the Formula 1 grid, while also analysing the technical factors that influence competitiveness. This includes aerodynamic development trends, simulation-driven design approaches, and the engineering decisions that shape race weekend outcomes.
His reporting bridges the gap between human performance and machine development, helping readers understand how driver execution and technical innovation interact in modern Formula 1. Coverage often connects on-track events with the underlying engineering philosophies that define each team’s approach.
With a global perspective shaped by both journalism and technical study, Thiago also focuses on Formula 1’s international reach and the different ways the sport is experienced across regions.
Treze has a particular interest in how Computational Fluid Dynamics and aerodynamic modelling contribute to car performance, offering accessible explanations of complex technical concepts within Formula 1.
