Oscar Piastri arrives in Singapore under a sharper spotlight after two crashes in Baku turned a steady title march into a tense duel. With Lando Norris now 25 points behind and Max Verstappen 69 adrift, this weekend is seen by paddock voices as an acid test of Piastri’s championship nerve.
What happened in Baku
Piastri crashed in Q3 and again on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan GP — a rare double error from a driver who has built his season on consistency. Jenson Button called it "unusual" to see the same mistake twice, noting how odd it looked on replays.
Brundle’s verdict: a seven-race shootout
Martin Brundle believes Singapore will reveal whether pressure is a factor, but expects Piastri to reset: it’s a seven-race championship to the flag, plus sprints, and the Australian still has a cushion — roughly a race in hand over Norris and nearly three over Verstappen.
Why Singapore matters
On a tricky, low-grip street circuit that punishes lapses, a clean weekend would stabilise Piastri’s campaign and blunt momentum swings. With 24 events on the calendar, one bad weekend is survivable — two in a row is where titles come under threat.
Bottom line
Piastri remains in control, but the margin for error has narrowed. A composed response in Singapore would send a clear message that Baku was a blip, not a trend.
