Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri wins, Max Verstappen punished for a power move

From the start, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix race was marked by an initial collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, who had to retire in the first lap. Another incident shook the race: Max Verstappen, who was leading, was penalized for cutting the first corner at the start. He received a five-second penalty, reducing his lead and opening the door to his direct rival, Oscar Piastri.

Oscar Piastri scores a double and takes the lead in the championship

Thanks to perfect management of his strategy and impressive top speed, Oscar Piastri was able to take the lead over Max Verstappen. By maintaining his effort after Verstappen’s penalty, he widened the gap to win with no real opposition. This is the Australian’s second consecutive victory and a performance that now places him at the top of the overall driver standings.

Lando Norris also shone, stringing together fast laps and climbing from tenth to fourth place, despite an offset strategy. He could do nothing against Charles Leclerc, who secured Ferrari’s first podium of the season.

Verstappen, despite the penalty, doesn’t give up

Despite the five-second penalty, Verstappen continued to vigorously defend his second position against Leclerc, who still managed to gain time on him. The Monegasque, although fast, was unable to approach first place, remaining in third position behind Piastri and Verstappen. This performance remains solid for Ferrari, who were desperately awaiting a podium finish after a disappointing start to the season.

Hamilton, Norris and the rest of the field

The other interesting duel was between Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, who engaged in a fierce battle mid-race. After a few position exchanges in the final sector, Norris ultimately took the upper hand, settling behind the leaders before going after them.

Behind this group, the peloton continued to fight for points, with close battles between Sainz, Albon, and Hadjar. The latter found himself fighting for eighth place against two Williams cars that implemented a strategy to keep the Racing Bulls behind.

Leclerc and Ferrari bounce back

After some difficulties, Ferrari found its way back to the podium thanks to Charles Leclerc. The third place secured by the Monegasque driver is a sign of hope for the Italian team, which has struggled at the start of the season to compete with the two giants of Formula 1, Red Bull and McLaren. Although this third position is a relief, Ferrari will still need to refine its strategy to regularly compete for victory.

Results of the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix F1