Palmer's comment on Piastri: "A small mistake had a knock-on effect"

McLaren's Piastri crashed out of the race on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The result narrowed the gap to 25 points, but Piastri still leads the standings behind teammate Lando Norris. Red Bull's Max Verstappen is 69 points behind in third place.

"We saw a chink in the armour. He made a very basic human error. It's all about pressure. It's the same in golf, where you can hit a three-metre shot for years, but then things go wrong at the crucial moment to win the championship. Oscar had a similar experience," Palmer said on the F1 Nation podcast.

The experienced commentator noted that Baku, known for its tight corners, is a risky track, saying, "He was nervous at the start. His rival, Norris, was ahead, the track is narrow, and the possibility of error is very high. One small mistake created a chain reaction."

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Palmer also noted that Piastri had been "pushing too hard" recently, and that this could be linked to Norris' acceleration. "Lando has been more consistent in recent races," he said. "Oscar has been losing time or crashing when trying to gain time with aggressive braking. That's pushing too hard."

Palmer, who said Norris was the favorite ahead of the Singapore GP, pointed to a new turning point in the championship race by saying, "He was very strong here last year. The momentum is shifting to Lando. The gap has narrowed to 25 points, and Norris is driving more comfortably and consistently."