After an intense duel with Verstappen in the opening laps, Oscar Piastri claimed victory at the Saudi Arabian GP and moved to the top of the Drivers’ Standings
A thrilling night race unfolded at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (GP), where Oscar Piastri made sure not to let Max Verstappen steal the spotlight, as had happened in qualifying. The Australian driver secured victory at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, taking over the lead in the Formula 1 (F1) Drivers’ Championship.
Piastri vs Verstappen
From the moment the lights went out in Jeddah, the battle between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen kicked off fiercely. In the very first lap, the Dutchman took the lead with an overtake outside the track limits—an action that would earn him a five-second penalty. Meanwhile, Piastri remained close behind, at times following the Red Bull and at others his teammate Lando Norris, before ultimately taking the lead and holding onto it all the way to the checkered flag.
Thanks to a strong finish, Piastri kept Verstappen at bay, forcing him to settle for second place, while Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium after a tough defense against the second McLaren, which finished fourth.
New Drivers’ Championship leader
With this victory, Oscar Piastri now totals 99 points in the Drivers’ Standings, becoming the first Australian driver to lead the championship since Mark Webber in 2010. Behind him is Lando Norris with 89 points, and Max Verstappen remains third with 87 points.
Change at the top 🔄
Let’s take a look at the drivers’ standings ⬇️ #F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/iycSsPlplb
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2025
Full Saudi Arabian GP race results
Completing the top 10, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli secured fifth and sixth place for Mercedes; Lewis Hamilton finished seventh; Carlos Sainz scored his first points of the season with an eighth-place finish; and Alexander Albon and Isack Hadjar took ninth and tenth, respectively.
Further down the field, Fernando Alonso finished 11th, Liam Lawson 12th, Ollie Bearman 13th, Esteban Ocon 14th, and Nico Hülkenberg 15th. The last positions were occupied by Lance Stroll, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Unfortunately, Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly didn’t make it past the first lap, as a collision between them resulted in terminal damage to their cars, forcing both to retire from the race.
Cover photo: X (@F1)
