JEDDAH. Oscar Piastri delivered a masterclass at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, winning the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and seizing the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship lead. The McLaren driver’s third victory of the season came after a tense battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished second following a pivotal penalty. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium, marking the Scuderia’s first top-three finish of 2025.
The 50-lap race under the Jeddah lights kicked off with drama at Turn 1. Verstappen, starting from pole, and Piastri, alongside him on the front row, went wheel-to-wheel. Verstappen cut the corner to maintain his lead, but the stewards deemed the move illegal, handing him a five-second penalty. This decision proved decisive, as Piastri capitalized during the pit stops to take control.
Piastri’s race management was flawless. Despite Verstappen’s pace, the Australian kept the Red Bull at bay, crossing the finish line 2.843 seconds ahead. “It was a tough race,” Piastri said post-race. “I made the difference at the start, and we did what we needed to do.” His victory, coupled with teammate Lando Norris’s fourth-place finish, strengthened McLaren’s grip on the Constructors’ Championship, now leading Mercedes by 77 points.
Verstappen, despite the penalty, showcased Red Bull’s potential, finishing comfortably ahead of Leclerc. “It’s been a great weekend along the track,” Verstappen noted, choosing to focus on the positives as he slipped to third in the Drivers’ standings, 12 points behind Piastri.
Leclerc’s podium was a bright spot for Ferrari, who have struggled with qualifying pace in 2025. His tire management, particularly during a long middle stint on mediums, allowed him to fend off Norris’s late charge. “We maximized everything today,” Leclerc said, though he acknowledged Ferrari’s need for upgrades to challenge consistently.
Key Moments
- Early Chaos: A Lap 1 collision between Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly triggered a Safety Car, ending both drivers’ races. The stewards opted to investigate post-race, leaving no further penalties.
- Norris’s Recovery: Starting P10 after a Q3 crash, Norris fought back to P4, narrowly missing the podium. His long first stint on hard tires nearly paid off, but Leclerc’s defense held firm.
- Mercedes’ Consistency: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished P5 and P6, respectively, reinforcing Mercedes’ status as the second-fastest team. Antonelli’s brush with the wall was a rare misstep in an otherwise assured drive.
- Points Finishers: Williams’ Carlos Sainz (P8) and Alex Albon (P9), along with RB’s Isack Hadjar (P10), rounded out the top ten, with Hadjar continuing to impress in his rookie season.
Piastri’s win propelled him to a 10-point lead over Norris in the Drivers’ Championship, with Verstappen a further 12 points adrift. The Australian became the first driver to win a race without starting from pole this season and the first Australian to lead the championship since Mark Webber in 2010. McLaren’s dominance in Jeddah further solidified their Constructors’ lead, while Ferrari’s podium offered hope amid a challenging campaign.
The F1 circus now heads to Miami for the sixth round on May 2–4, where warmer conditions and a different track layout will test the teams’ adaptability. Piastri’s momentum makes him the man to beat, but Verstappen’s pace and Norris’s hunger for redemption promise a fierce battle. For Ferrari, Leclerc’s podium is a stepping stone, but closing the gap to the front requires more than race-day heroics.
As Jeddah’s fireworks lit up the night, Piastri’s victory signaled a new chapter in the 2025 title fight. With 19 races remaining, the championship is wide open, and the streets of Miami await.