Oscar Piastri took the lead in the classification of the Formula 1 driver on Sunday after beating the four times Max Verstappen world champion in an intense career in Saudi Arabia.
La Victoria puts Piestri, 24, from Australian, at 99 points, jumps to his companion pilot McLaren Lando Norris, who is now 10 points in second place. Verstappen, who drives for Red Bull Racing, is two more points in third place.
It is emerging as a close and exciting championship battle, since the races return to the United States in two weeks for a weekend of the Grand Prix in Miami. It is emerging as the defense of the most challenging title of Verstappen since it won its first trophy in 2021.
And Norris, who began the season as the favorite of the bets to win the championship, has his work trimmed for him, since he admits that he does not feel synchronized with the in the evolution of the McLaren car.
The beginning of the race on Sunday was crucial for the result. Verstappen began in the pole position ahead of Piasstri, but Piasstri obtained a better release and took along with Verstappen inside towards the first corner, which led him to cut the caricana and maintain the position. He was given a time penalty of 5 seconds for leaving the track and obtaining an advantage, which is prohibited.
“Well done to everyone! It was a bit more difficult at the beginning of what I expected. But, very, very well done. The car was great,” Piastri said on the radio of the team after taking the checkered flag. “Huge three weeks. And let’s continue to work.”
In the subsequent press conference, Piastri said that leading the championship does not change anything for him. “I still want to go out and try to win every race I can,” he said. “I am not so upset about the fact that I am leading the championship, but I am proud of work and the reasons why we are leading the championship.”
“Ultimately, I want to lead it after round 24, not the round 5,” he said.
Verstappen finished second, less than 3 seconds behind Piastri. Completing the podium was Charles Leclerc, giving Ferrari his first podium in the five Grand Prix in 2025.
Piastri has been the 2025 star in its third season in the sport, winning three of the five races that Norris and Verstappen have won a race. It is the first time this season that the leather did not win the race.
In the subsequent interview, Verstappen refused to discuss the incident of the first corner and said he hopes to compete in the United States below.
“I’m going to keep it quite short. I just want to say a great thanks to fans here in Jeddah,” he said. “It has been a great weekend. I love the track. And the rest is what it is. I am anxious for Miami.
Verstappen later said at the press conference that he was “positively surprised with my rhythm”, but repeatedly refused to discuss the penalty and if it cost him the victory. “The beginning occurred, turn 1 happened, and suddenly it was Tour 50,” he said without departure.
Norris suffered a forgettable weekend, reflecting the inconsistency of his 2025 season. After establishing the rhythm in the practice sessions and exceeded the anterior part of the qualification, he made a small but expensive mistake and crashed into a hot lap, which forced him to start in the tenth place. He fought to fourth place on Sunday.
The track in Jeddah is one of the fastest and most physically demanding in the F1 calendar.
He was asked to describe his emotions after the race, the famous Piastri joked, “looking for a sofa.”
