Red Bull boss Christian Horner pleads with officials after Max Verstappen penalty costs Dutchman Jeddah win

One of the sport’s most controversial figures caught the attention of millions with a frantic last-ditch attempt to steal Oscar Piastri’s race.

The fireworks in Jeddah weren’t just in the sky after Monday morning’s tense Grand Prix in the Middle East.

Oscar Piastri clinched his third win of the season and the lead of the world championship, thanks to a penalty from the stewards slapped on Max Verstappen that put a handy gap between the pair.

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The Dutchman’s stellar weekend took a turn in the opening corner when he ran off the track, accusing Piastri of giving him “no room” as the Aussie darted for an early overtake.

Even while hurtling past concrete walls at 300km/h, Piastri has never shown more than a drop of emotion over the radio. But Max’s manoeuvre had him pleading with his team to get ahold of the officials to give him the lead.

Christian Horner prints his receipts.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner was also left pleading after the race (more of that below).

The Dutchman was fuming once the radio call came through confirming he’d have to sit idling in the pits for five seconds. By the end of the race, Verstappen was a mere 2.5 seconds behind Piastri as the Aussie crossed the line to place him atop the drivers’ championship leaderboard.

Verstappen’s body language did everything his PR filter wouldn’t let him say as he went through his post-race obligations. He’s never been one to do things he doesn’t want to and his star power as a four-time world champion has allowed him to shrug off lengthy chats with the media when things haven’t gone exactly his way.

“I’m going to keep it quite short. It’s been a great weekend along the track and the rest is what it is,” Verstappen muttered to David Coulthard after hopping out of the car.

Charles Leclerc, who rounded out the podium for Ferrari, managed a brief exchange of words with Verstappen as the podium sitters transitioned to the cooldown room. But when Piastri joined in, Max’s icy glare darted back to the screen.

He remained silent for the remainder of the broadcast.

Verstappen was clearly fuming in the cooldown room.

While some might blow it off as a big old nothingburger, the broader picture is tense. Verstappen is chasing a fifth championship in a row, something only Michael Schumacher has done before.

While he repeatedly claims he’s not focused on the history books, it’s impossible to assume he’s enjoying watching the end of Red Bull’s monster run in the 2020s.

We might be getting a bit more of the old spicy Max if this season continues with him sitting on the second step.

Christian Horner prints receipts

Back in the Red Bull garage, team principal Christian Horner was pulling everything out to try to convince the stewards they got it wrong.

He brought printed documents to his traditional post-race grid media briefing to argue Verstappen’s case, looking somewhat like a man trying to return a toaster without the original packaging.

“I don’t know where Max was supposed to go at that first corner,” Horner told Sky Sports.

“We’ve lost the race by 2.6 seconds, so it’s tough.”

Journalist Chris Medland shared a copy of one of Christian Horner's photos. Photo: X.

But the stewards were unmoved by the theatrics, stating Piastri had “entitlement to room” based on his position alongside Verstappen’s car.

Zak Brown, who is regularly swapping barbs with Horner, smugly agreed.

“It was Oscar’s corner, and at some point you’ve got to concede,” he said.

Social media had a field day, comparing Horner’s printouts to the famous blow-up he had on Drive To Survive with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Others ruthlessly used the opportunity to remind the world of Horner’s alleged “inappropriate” photo scandal that threatened to turn Red Bull upside down last year.

Piastri is on fire

While Verstappen’s early career was defined by his outbursts and aggressive temperament on track, Piastri is proving to the paddock you can get it done with the resting heartbeat of a pebble.

The 24-year-old from Melbourne has driven with composure well beyond his years this season and has now barged his way into the championship conversation with 99 points and the most race wins of the year so far.

He is now the first Aussie to lead the championship standings since Mark Webber, who now manages him. And if he wins the season, he’ll be the first Australian to do so since Alan Jones in 1980.

Martin Brundle dubbed his drive “ominous” for McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who has simply made more errors than his younger teammate this year.

For the British star, it’s turning into a downright nightmare.

The 25-year old has spent five seasons waiting for McLaren to give him a title-worthy vehicle and now that he’s got one, he has an absolute assassin sitting opposite him.

Piastri’s devastating error that saw him slip off the track in Australia is already looking like ancient history as the grid prepares for Miami, a track McLaren have proven dangerous at before.

Piastri is proving to the paddock you can get it done with the resting heartbeat of a pebble. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

All eyes are on how the team handles the delicate driver dynamic after McLaren boss Brown declared he sees them as equals and will not favour one over the other.

In the event the season comes down to the wire between the two, it might be hard to make the case that Lando will emerge on top given Piastri’s hauntingly-still demeanour and track record under pressure.

Still, the year is young and we’ve seen teams flop as their competitors catch up on the development side of things. Verstappen is undeniably the most feared driver in the world and has already pulled off a few miracles in his tricky Red Bull this year.

He sits just 12 points below Piastri and has a decade of experience to lean on as the season transitions into the more traditional circuits that he excels on.

The season continues with the Miami Grand Prix at 6am on May 5 (AEST).

F1 Driver Standings

1. Oscar Piastri (AUS) McLaren Mercedes – 99 points

2. Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren Mercedes – 89

3. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT – 87

4. George Russell (GBR) Mercedes – 73

5. Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari – 47

Originally published as Red Bull boss Christian Horner pleads with officials after Max Verstappen penalty costs Dutchman Jeddah win