New Delhi: Oscar Piastri won the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, marking the first time that Red Bull have lost on the track since 2021. In the process, Piastri also becomes the first Australian driver to lead the Driver’s Championship since 2010 when Mark Webber briefly led in the table. Max Verstappen came second with Charles Leclerc helping the Ferrari take their first podium finish this season.
It was a chaotic start to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the safety car coming in on the first lap itself after Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly crashed into the wall when the French driver tried to go outside but was clipped by the Red Bull car, and both cars had to retire. The crash cost Red Bull dearly, who for the first time had both cars in the top eight, with Verstappen taking a pole position.
P1ASTRI AGAIN! 🏆@OscarPiastri secures our first-ever win in Saudi Arabia 🧡#McLaren | #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/IfmkWbNGgD
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) April 20, 2025
Oscar Piastri stays calm in the win
Making his third win of the season from five opening races, Piastri kept a cool head and was able to capitalise on Verstappen’s off-track penalty of five seconds. The 24-year-old started in second place and had slipped two seconds behind the Dutch driver in the opening stint, but managed to match his pace. Piastri pulled off an amazing overtake in one of the fastest portions of the track over Lewis Hamilton.
It was his McLaren teammate Lando Norris who looked the closest to have posed any threat as he slowly gained on him, but once the British driver pitted, it was Piastri’s race to win. George Russell’s Mercedes was staring at a podium finish, but an issue with his right tyre meant the Briton was keen on just finishing the race.
Verstappen was disappointed with the result, having a good shot at winning his second race of the season. Piastri got a better start than the 27-year-old, but Verstappen held on to the lead only to find himself on the inside in turn two and had to leave the track to avoid a collision. However, the stewards decided that Verstappen had gained an advantage, which meant that once both drivers came out of their one-stop, Piastri had a three-second lead. The Australian now sits 10 points clear of his teammate Norris, who is second in the championship currently.
Lewis Hamilton finished seventh behind Kimi Antonelli and mostly had no standout moment at Jeddah. The teams will now break for two weeks. The next Grand Prix will be held in Miami, where Lando Norris won his first Grand Prix last season.
Driver of the Day
While Max Verstappen had the more difficult car to drive, it was Lando Norris who impressed everyone after finishing fourth in the race. He had started the race in tenth after his car had crashed during the qualifiers. He jumped six places in one of the hottest races of the season. He was close to making a podium finish towards the closing lap of the race, but Charles Leclerc managed to keep him off long enough.
There is little doubt that, currently, the best car on the grid is McLaren by far. Still being in contention to win the race at one point was no less achievement. Even Carlos Sainz finishing eighth was a relief to the Spanish driver, having only taken one point in the season before the race in Jeddah.
Oscar Piastri wins his third race of the season, going ten points clear of McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the Driver’s Championship as Charles Leclerc hands Ferrari first podium finish of the season. Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
