Oscar Piastri has surged to the top of the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship after a commanding victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, marking his third win of the season and confirming his status as a serious title contender.
The McLaren driver started second on the grid but found himself locked in a fierce scrap with polesitter Max Verstappen as the lights went out in Jeddah. Verstappen muscled his way through the first corner by cutting the apex, a move the stewards didn’t take kindly to. A five-second time penalty handed down to the Red Bull driver would later prove decisive, relegating him behind Piastri once the pit stop shuffle played out.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris mounted an impressive recovery effort from 10th on the grid after crashing in Qualifying. Opting for a longer initial stint on the hard tyres, the Brit briefly inherited the race lead before making his stop, handing control back to Piastri. From there, the Australian was in a league of his own, calmly extending his lead and taking the chequered flag 2.8 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the podium with a strong drive to third – his first trip to the rostrum this season – despite sustained pressure from Norris in the closing laps. The Mercedes pair of George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli followed in fifth and sixth, while Lewis Hamilton added further points for Ferrari with a solid seventh-place finish.
Williams enjoyed their best team result of the season, with Carlos Sainz crossing the line eighth – his strongest performance yet for the Grove outfit – and Alex Albon close behind in ninth. Albon had to fend off a persistent late attack from Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, who just missed out on points in P10.
Fernando Alonso’s frustrating season continued as he again failed to score, finishing 11th. Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson took 12th but was hampered by a 10-second penalty after an off-track overtake on Jack Doohan, who ended up 17th for Alpine. Haas duo Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon claimed 13th and 14th respectively, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in the Kick Sauber.
Lance Stroll finished 16th for Aston Martin, with Gabriel Bortoleto rounding out the finishers in 18th for Kick Sauber. The race had an early flashpoint when Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda tangled on the opening lap, forcing both to retire and bringing out the Safety Car.
But while chaos reigned further down the order, Piastri remained cool and collected up front, taking the win and a ten-point lead in the championship over his team-mate Norris. It marks the first time in 15 years that an Australian has led the Formula 1 title race – a feat last achieved by none other than his manager, Mark Webber. The baton has well and truly been passed.