A catastrophic opening lap has seen championship frontrunner Oscar Piastri eliminated from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, bringing an abrupt end to his remarkable run of 34 consecutive race finishes.
The Australian driver suffered a disastrous getaway from his grid position, plummeting through the field to find himself at the rear of the pack.
He appeared to jump the start of the race before stopping himself, in a monumental and uncharacteristic error from Piastri.
His race then came to a dramatic conclusion when he locked his brakes approaching Turn 5, sliding helplessly into the barriers without any contact from other competitors.
Oscar Piastri crashed out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after jumping the start of the race
|SKY SPORTS
The incident triggered an immediate Safety Car period and marks a pivotal moment in this season's championship battle.
The incident unfolded after Piastri experienced what appeared to be a sluggish launch when the lights went out, causing him to tumble down the order.
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Finding himself in unfamiliar territory at the tail end of the field, the pressure mounted quickly.
Approaching the tight left-hander at Turn 5, Piastri's front wheels locked under braking, sending his car skating across the asphalt with no chance of making the corner.
The McLaren driver could only watch as his machine slid inexorably towards the barriers, making heavy contact in what was an entirely unforced error.
Race officials responded swiftly, deploying the Safety Car to neutralise the race whilst marshals cleared the stricken McLaren from the circuit.
Speaking on Sky Sports, pundit Karun Chandhok said: "He has just locked up. He's just locked up and gone straight!
"He just sailed into the barrier.
"He just snatched the brake. I can't recall anyone hitting that barrier all weekend.
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McLaren chief Zak Brown was furious after the crash, which means the Constructor's Championship will not be heading their way today
|SKY SPORTS
Fellow pundit Bernie Collins agreed, saying: "It looks to me like he actually jumped the start a little bit, then tried to recover a bit and lost all those positions."
Piastri was penalised by F1 stewards for jumping the start, alongside Fernando Alonso, who were both handed five-second penalties.
But with the Aussie already out, it could mean that he faces the same punishment at the Singapore Grand Prix in two weeks time.
This turn of events has created an extraordinary opportunity for McLaren's Lando Norris to capitalise in the championship standings.
Despite experiencing his own challenging start that saw him surrender a position to Isack Hadjar and drop to eighth place, Norris now finds himself with a golden chance to significantly reduce the points deficit.
With Piastri now set to score nothing from Azerbaijan, any points Norris can secure once racing resumes will prove invaluable in reshaping the title fight.
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THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER IS OUT 🤯
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Oscar Piastri crashes out in Baku after falling to the back of the grid at the start 💥 pic.twitter.com/Ko25GeJmsI
The British driver's own difficult opening lap suddenly pales in comparison to the advantage handed to him by his rival's dramatic retirement.
However, any hopes of McLaren clinching the Constructor's Championship today have gone up in smoke.