The streets of Baku have always been an unforgiving challenge, but the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying session pushed everything to a new level of chaos. With six red flags, unpredictable rain, and drivers pushing to the absolute limit, it became one of the longest and wildest qualifying sessions in recent Formula 1 history. Amidst the carnage, one incident stood out above the rest: Oscar Piastri’s violent collision with the barriers. A crash that, on paper, seemed like a simple error, but has now fueled a storm of speculation.

This wasn’t just any crash; this was Piastri, the championship leader, the man carrying McLaren’s title hopes, and the driver locked in a tense rivalry with his own teammate, Lando Norris. Just two weeks earlier, he was ordered to give a podium position back to Norris in Monza after a controversial pit stop blunder. And now, after crashing out of a potential pole lap in Baku, fans are asking the unthinkable: Is McLaren really giving Piastri and Norris equal treatment, or is there something more sinister going on behind the scenes?

The Shocking Crash and the Wave of Suspicion

Oscar Piastri’s crash in Baku qualifying wasn’t just another headline moment in Formula 1; it was the spark that ignited a firestorm of debate across the paddock and beyond. To many fans, this was simply a case of a young driver pushing too hard on a treacherous street circuit. But for others, the incident has peeled back the curtain on deeper tensions brewing inside McLaren—a team that, on the surface, is enjoying its strongest season in years, but behind closed doors might be dealing with a power struggle that could shape the outcome of the 2025 championship.

Let’s start with the incident itself. Piastri had been flying all weekend in qualifying; his McLaren looked hooked up, and two purple sectors put him on course for pole position in one of the most chaotic sessions we’ve seen in years. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying dragged on for nearly two hours thanks to six red flags, rain showers, and multiple shunts. It was survival of the fittest, and yet, when the pressure was at its peak, Piastri clipped the limit just a little too hard, losing the rear and slamming into the wall head-first. The impact ended his charge and left him stranded in ninth place, his worst grid slot in 17 races.

On paper, it’s a mistake even the best drivers make. Piastri himself was quick to take responsibility, admitting he “tried a bit too hard” and refusing to blame the weather, the track, or even bad luck. That humility won him praise. But F1 is a sport where nothing is ever that simple, because this crash didn’t happen in isolation. It came just two weeks after the infamous Monza controversy, where McLaren ordered Piastri to hand back second place to his teammate Lando Norris following a pit stop blunder. That decision alone left fans outraged, with many accusing McLaren of favoritism. Now, combine Monza with Baku, and suddenly the narrative starts to shift.

The Internal War Behind a Veneer of Success

Here’s the crucial point: McLaren isn’t just fighting for wins this season; they’re on the verge of locking down the Constructors’ Championship—a monumental achievement after years in the shadows of Mercedes and Red Bull. But while the team’s collective performance has been outstanding, internally they face a dilemma. Both of their drivers are in the hunt for the Drivers’ Championship, and history tells us one brutal truth: when two teammates fight for the same crown, chaos always follows. Think Senna versus Prost, Hamilton versus Rosberg, or even Verstappen versus Ricciardo in 2018. In each case, the team became a battleground, and alliances behind the scenes often tipped the balance.

This is why Piastri’s crash has triggered such intense speculation. Some argue that McLaren’s qualifying strategy put their drivers in a vulnerable position from the start. While Verstappen and Red Bull timed their runs perfectly, waiting for the track to evolve before attacking on medium tires, McLaren sent their cars out early on softs when the surface was still damp. The gamble looked bold, but in hindsight, it was reckless. Both Norris and Piastri paid the price: one clipping the wall, the other crashing out entirely.

Was this just poor judgment from the pit wall, or a subtle way of piling pressure on Piastri in particular, knowing he was gunning for a pole lap? Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, has been insistent that both drivers have an equal opportunity to fight for the championship. He reaffirmed after Baku that the policy won’t change, even if the Constructors’ crown is secured early. But critics aren’t buying it. To many, words are one thing, actions are another. Monza already damaged trust; now, after Baku, fans are questioning whether McLaren is truly committed to neutrality or whether the team has quietly chosen their preferred champion.

Norris: McLaren’s “Golden Boy” and the Pressure on Piastri

Let’s talk about that preference. Lando Norris has been McLaren’s “golden boy” for years. The British driver has grown with the team, carried them through lean seasons, and become their poster child both on and off the track. He’s popular with the fans, loved within the organization, and deeply tied to McLaren’s long-term vision. Piastri, on the other hand, is the rising star: brilliant, fast, and clinical, but also relatively new to the project. Some insiders suggest McLaren’s hierarchy would feel more comfortable backing Norris if the title fight comes down to the wire, simply because he represents stability, loyalty, and marketability.

But here’s where things get messy. Piastri is leading the championship. His performances this season have been nothing short of spectacular, combining raw speed with a consistency that even seasoned champions struggle to match. To deliberately undermine him would be self-destructive, and yet the seeds of doubt have been planted. Every strategy call, every pit stop, every radio message is now being scrutinized through the lens of potential bias. In Formula 1, perception can be just as damaging as reality.

Psychologically, this could become a huge factor. Piastri has shown incredible composure under pressure, but even he admits the Baku crash rattled him. Two setbacks in as many races, one political, one personal, could create cracks in his armor. And when you’re fighting someone as relentless as Max Verstappen, or even your own teammate, those cracks can turn into breaking points.

Coincidence or the Start of a Civil War?

Of course, there’s another possibility: that all of this really is just coincidence; that Piastri made a mistake, Norris had his own struggles, and McLaren is genuinely doing its best to balance two elite drivers in a high-pressure environment. After all, Stella insists the team reviews every decision, and both drivers publicly maintain they’re happy with the approach. But Formula 1 fans are not easily convinced. Once suspicion creeps in, it rarely disappears. And if Baku was a coincidence, how many more coincidences will it take before the paddock no longer believes the denials?

This is why Baku feels like a turning point—not just because of the crash itself, but because it symbolizes the fine line McLaren is walking. One misstep, one questionable decision, and their greatest season in decades could implode under the weight of internal conflict.

So here’s the big question: Do you believe McLaren is truly giving Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris equal treatment, or is there something darker happening behind closed doors? Could this be the beginning of a full-blown civil war inside McLaren? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, because the 2025 season may be about to explode.