McLaren driver Oscar Piastri triumphed at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the fifth race of this year’s Formula 1 Championship. The Australian conquered the streets of Jeddah to claim his second consecutive win, having previously won in Bahrain, and his third victory of the season overall.
Closest to Piastri was Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the podium in third place.
Championship leader heading into the race, Lando Norris, managed to climb up to fourth place after starting from 10th, following a costly mistake in Saturday’s qualifying. The battle for the win was effectively decided in just a few seconds at the first corner, where Verstappen cut across the track in an attempt to defend against Piastri’s early challenge. Although the reigning champion temporarily regained the lead by making an illegal move, he did not return the position. Shortly after, the race was neutralized by the safety car due to a first-lap incident, and race control penalized Verstappen with a five-second time penalty for gaining an unfair advantage — a decision that ultimately took him out of contention for the win.
Aside from Piastri’s impressive drive, the fifth race of the season was also marked by a dramatic start and several breathtaking overtakes. The now almost traditional Jeddah chaos returned, as the opening-lap incident brought out the safety car for a fifth consecutive year. This time it was the clash between Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) that caused the disruption. Gasly’s car was heavily damaged, forcing him to retire, while Tsunoda continued briefly before retiring to the pits.
After his qualifying mistake, Norris opted for a different strategy from most of the grid, starting on hard tires and making the most of the long opening stint. Nevertheless, he was twice outsmarted by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who let Norris pass only to retake the position immediately after on the straights. On the third attempt, however, Norris managed to hold the position. Charles Leclerc was another standout performer, spending much of the race behind George Russell’s Mercedes before gradually catching up after a late tire change to secure a well-earned podium.
This race in Jeddah highlighted Oscar Piastri as a serious title contender — with three wins already, and the confidence to go wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen, he’s quickly emerging as one of the standout drivers of the season. Verstappen’s penalty played a decisive role in the outcome, but Piastri had the pace and composure to capitalize on every opportunity.
Norris delivered a strong recovery drive despite his earlier mistake, while Hamilton and Leclerc showed flashes of veteran brilliance in their on-track battles. Meanwhile, Jeddah once again delivered high drama, proving to be one of the most unpredictable circuits on the calendar.
With the championship battle heating up, the question now is: Can Piastri maintain this form and establish himself as the man to beat, or will Red Bull and Verstappen bounce back to reassert their dominance?
