Oscar Piastri takes Formula 1 drivers championship lead after winning Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

Australia’s Oscar Piastri survived a titanic battle with a sulking Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and take the lead in the Formula One world championship for the first time.

Australia’s Oscar Piastri survived a titanic battle with a sulking Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and take the lead in the Formula One world championship for the first time.

The ice-cool Australian maintained his composure to claim his third victory from the first five races of the 2025 season after a furious Verstappen was handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on the very first corner.

“Once I got on the inside I wasn’t coming out of turn one in second,” Piastri said.

“I tried my best and obviously the stewards had to get involved, but I thought I was far enough and in the end that’s what got me the race.”

Oscar Piastri celebrates winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

In taking the victory - his fifth Grand Prix win in just 51 career starts - Piastri overtook McLaren teammate Lando Norris to the top of the drivers’ standings, becoming the first Aussie since Mark Webber in 2010 to lead the title race.

But he said it was a lot harder than it might have appeared after an exhausting night-time race held in baking-hot temperatures.

“I’m looking for a couch, it was a pretty tough race,” Piastri said.

“I’m very happy to have obviously won, I made the difference at the start and made my case into turn one and that was enough.

“It was really tricky to follow out there, I couldn’t really stay with Max Verstappen at the end of the first stint and I just chewed up my tyres. The clean air was nice after the pit stop, it was a clean race and we did the parts we needed to right.

“We still needed a bit more, Max was a bit too close for our liking but a great race and a great weekend.”

Max Verstappen was given a five-second penalty for running off the track

With the next round taking place in Miami in two weeks’ time, the 24-year-old Piastri now leads the championship with 99 points, 10 clear of his nearest rival.

Verstappen crossed the line 2.8 seconds behind Piastri to drop to third in the standings with 87 points while Charles Leclerc finished third to provide Ferrari with its first podium of the season.

With 19 races still to go, Piastri is now the outright favourite to win the title and join Jack Brabham and Alan Jones as the only Australians to win the biggest prize in motorsport.

Aside from the obvious challenge coming from the four-time world champion Verstappen, the biggest threat to Piastri remains Norris, who started from 10th on the grid after crashing his McLaren during the final phase of qualifying.

The Englishman made up six places to finish fourth and move to second spot on 89 points with McLaren extending its lead in the constructors’ championship to 77.

“I think it’s the best we could have done,” Norris said.

“It’s a shame we didn’t stand on the podium. We were close and it’s always hard to judge those things, Charles drove a good race and a good first stint.

“I’m pleased on the whole but I make life tough for myself, especially when it’s a race like that. It would have been much easier and a lot more chill just to drive at the front. I’ve got to help myself out a little bit and have better Saturdays.”

The only multiple race winner this season after his previous victories in China and Bahrain, Piastri became the first Australian to win back-to-back Grands Prix since Daniel Ricciardo took successive chequered flags at Belgium and Hungary in 2014.

With overtaking difficult on the ultra high-speed Jeddah street circuit, the race was effectively decided by the skirmish at the opening turn.

Starting second on the grid behind pole sitter Verstappen, Piastri made a lightning quick getaway to get the nose of his McLaren in front at the end of the pit straight.

Unwilling to concede, Verstappen veered off the track to keep his Red Bull in front only to be told by the stewards he had made an infringement so had to serve a penalty after a safety car was deployed when Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly collided on lap one.

“I’m very happy with all the work we’ve been doing on the starts and that’s what won us the race for us,” Piastri said.

“It’s always a tough race around here, it’s a little bit later into the year so I think it’s a little bit warmer and a little bit humid, definitely one of the toughest races I’ve had in my career so I’m happy I could come out on top in it.”

Verstappen was livid at the decision by the stewards to penalise him, giving a curt reply in his post-race interview with David Coulthard.

“I’m going to keep it quite short. I want to say a big thank you to the fans in Jeddah,” he said.

“It’s been a great weekend along the track and the rest is what it is. I’m looking forward to Miami. See you there.“

He didn’t offer much more when he spoke to Sky Sports after the trophy presentation.

“To be honest I think any words towards that is just a waste of time for everyone,” he growled.

“Let’s get the paperwork, it’s all written down. It’s not in my interest (to appeal), the only thing that is in my interest is looking forward to going home.”

Knowing he only had to stick close to Verstappen’s rear wing before getting the chance to pass the Dutchman when he served his time penalty, Piastri didn’t take any unnecessary risks.

He was content to manage his tyres through the first stint of the 50-lap race before coming into the pits on lap 20 to swap his medium compounds for hard rubber.

Verstappen surrendered the lead when he pitted two laps later, with Leclerc and Norris each briefly taking turns in front before Piastri took the overall lead on lap 35 when Norris, who started on hard tyres, was the last of the main drivers to come back into the pits.

Originally published as Oscar Piastri takes Formula 1 drivers championship lead after winning Saudi Arabia Grand Prix