At the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Australian driver Oscar Piastri claimed a victory that placed him at the top of the Formula 1 championship standings, reported by the Baltimore Chronicle with reference to The Guardian.
Piastri started from second position, trailing only Max Verstappen, who had secured pole position. On the opening lap, an incident occurred between them: Verstappen, defending his lead, forced his rival off track at Turn 2. As a result, stewards handed the Dutchman a five-second penalty.
Following the incident, Piastri and the McLaren team executed a flawless strategy, maintaining a consistent pace and managing tyre wear effectively. After the pit stops, he emerged in the lead and crossed the finish line first, 2.8 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
This marks Piastri’s third win of the season and his second consecutive victory after triumphing in Bahrain. With this result, he has accumulated 99 points and now leads the championship, ahead of his teammate Lando Norris by 10 points and Verstappen by 12.
Charles Leclerc secured third place, delivering Ferrari’s first podium finish of the season. Norris, who had a difficult start due to a qualifying crash, finished fourth, while Mercedes’ George Russell came in fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Kimi Antonelli, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and Isack Hadjar.
Despite Red Bull’s improvements compared to the previous race, the team expressed dissatisfaction with Verstappen’s penalty. The driver himself refrained from commenting, stating that in the current Formula 1 environment, speaking out critically is becoming increasingly difficult.
McLaren now leads the Constructors’ Championship with 151 points. The next round of the championship will take place in Miami.
Earlier we wrote that Svitolina crushes opponent to reach tournament final in France.