Piastri reigns in Saudi GP

TDT | Agencies

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Oscar Piastri delivered a commanding performance to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix yesterday, securing his third victory of the season and climbing to the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Starting second on the grid at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the Australian found himself in an early tussle with polesitter Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver forced his way through the first corner by cutting the apex and was later handed a five-second time penalty for the move, which cost him the lead after he served it during his pit stop.

McLaren’s strategy worked to perfection as Piastri took over at the front following a stint of early leadership from team-mate Lando Norris, who had started tenth after a crash in qualifying. Norris extended his first stint on hard tyres, briefly inheriting first place before pitting and handing the lead to Piastri. From there, the 24-year-old controlled the race to take the chequered flag 2.8 seconds ahead of Verstappen.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured his first podium of the season in third after fending off a late charge from Norris, who had to settle for fourth place. George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli took fifth and sixth for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton added more points for Ferrari with a solid drive to seventh.

Williams also celebrated a double-points finish as Carlos Sainz delivered his best result of the season in eighth, followed by team-mate Alex Albon in ninth. Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar narrowly missed out on points in tenth after a late challenge to Albon.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso once again finished outside the points in eleventh, extending his point-less run in 2025. Liam Lawson took twelfth for Racing Bulls despite a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in an incident involving Alpine’s Jack Doohan. Haas drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon finished thirteenth and fourteenth respectively.

Nico Hulkenberg came home in fifteenth for Kick Sauber, ahead of Lance Stroll, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto, who rounded out the classified finishers.

The race was not without incident, as Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda were both forced to retire on the opening lap following a collision that brought out the Safety Car.

With his victory, Piastri becomes the first Australian to lead the Formula One World Championship in 15 years – the last being his current manager, Mark Webber. He now holds a 10-point advantage over Norris in what is shaping up to be a thrilling title battle.