Oscar Piastri claimed his third win of the 2025 season with a composed and clinical performance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, leapfrogging into the lead of the Drivers’ Championship and becoming the first Australian to top the standings since Mark Webber.
The race opened with fireworks on and off the track at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Polesitter Max Verstappen and Piastri went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 1, but Verstappen’s aggressive move across the apex earned him a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Though Verstappen initially led, the penalty—served during his pit stop—allowed Piastri to retake control of the race. Lando Norris, starting 10th after a crash in Qualifying, briefly led due to a long opening stint on hard tyres. But once he pitted, Piastri moved into P1 and never looked back.
Top 5 Race Results:
| Position | Driver | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | 1:21:06.758 | 25 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | +2.843s | 18 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | +8.104s | 15 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | +9.196s | 12 |
| 5 | George Russell | +27.236s | 10 |
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc grabbed his first podium of the year in third, holding off a hard-charging Norris in the closing laps. Mercedes’ George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli took fifth and sixth, with Lewis Hamilton rounding out a quiet race in seventh.
Williams secured a strong double-points finish—Carlos Sainz in eighth and Alex Albon in ninth—while Isack Hadjar snatched the final point in tenth, just missing out on passing Albon despite late pressure.
Drama From Lap 1
The race began in chaos as former teammates Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda collided, both hitting the wall and bringing out the Safety Car. Tsunoda limped back to the pits but would later retire, joining Gasly as the only non-finishers.
As the race resumed, Verstappen led, but his early incident with Piastri didn’t go unnoticed by the stewards. The Dutchman was handed his penalty, which ultimately shifted the balance in McLaren’s favor.
Meanwhile, Norris was busy slicing through the field, engaged in thrilling wheel-to-wheel battles with Hamilton and Antonelli. Despite a minor lock-up entering the pit lane later on, Norris rejoined in a strong position, eventually finishing P4.
Pit Stops and Strategy Shifts
Piastri made his stop on Lap 20, rejoining behind the leaders but ahead of Verstappen, who served his penalty on his own stop. That allowed Piastri to regain the lead once Norris and Leclerc pitted.
A notable moment came when Piastri pulled off a stunning overtake on Hamilton through the fast Turn 22, underlining his form and determination. Leclerc also impressed, climbing up to third after a DRS move on Russell.
Despite some minor frustration with traffic, Piastri maintained composure and pace to bring home the win, crossing the line 2.8 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
The Rest of the Grid
- Fernando Alonso finished 11th, still chasing his first points of the season.
- Liam Lawson, despite a strong drive, was hit with a 10-second penalty and ended up 12th.
- Haas teammates Bearman and Ocon were 13th and 14th, followed by Hulkenberg in 15th.
- Stroll, Doohan, and Bortoleto rounded out the classified finishers.
What They Said
“It was a pretty tough race,” said Piastri post-race. “I made the difference at the start into Turn 1, and that was enough. Following was tricky, but once in clean air, we had the pace. Max was close, but we did what we needed to.”
Looking Ahead
Next stop: Miami Grand Prix, May 2–4. Piastri leads the standings by 10 points over teammate Norris, with Verstappen not far behind. The championship battle is heating up—and fast.
Stay tuned for all the latest from the Miami International Autodrome.