BAKU, Azerbaijan -- Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the first lap of the race, handing a massive chance for Lando Norris to reignite the title fight.
Piastri, who leads McLaren teammate Norris by 31 points, appeared to have a nervy, sluggish getaway off the line and dropped to the back of the field.
As he made his way around the first lap, he slid off at Turn 5 and hit the wall, ending his race immediately and bringing to an end his 34-race streak of finishing in the points.
"Sorry, guys," Piastri said on the radio, before climbing out of the car.
Norris started from seventh and will now look to take a chunk out of the points gap.
Piastri's crash triggered a safety car, continuing the drama of the weekend -- Saturday's qualifying session featured a record six red flag stoppages, one of which was for Piastri's crash in Q3.
Replays also suggested Piastri had jumped the start. He was given a five-second penalty, but as per FIA guidelines, the Australian's retirement means it will not be converted into a grid penalty at the next race.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso, who started directly behind Piastri in 11th, has been given a five-second penalty for jumping the start.
