McLaren driver Oscar Piastri claimed his third victory of 2025 on April 20 at the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The F1 Saudi Arabian GP weekend took place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, beginning on Friday, April 18, with the first practice session and concluding on Sunday, April 20, with the Grand Prix.
Going into qualifying, it seemed the odds were in McLaren driver Lando Norris’s favor, after setting the fastest time in two of the three practice sessions. Unfortunately for Norris, he hit the wall during the final round of qualifying, causing a red flag and forcing him to settle for P10. The battle for pole continued with George Russell taking provisional pole, before being displaced by Piastri, which was finally taken by Verstappen, with the fastest lap ever set at Jeddah. Senior Joshua Panado said, “Verstappen’s performance was very impressive, especially considering that the Red Bull hasn’t been great recently.”
At lights out, Verstappen and Piastri battle into Turn 1, with Verstappen retaining his lead. Further down the grid, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda collide, causing both of them to DNF. Later, Verstappen received a five-second penalty for “leaving the track and gaining an advantage” while battling with Piastri on Lap 1. Verstappen then served his five-second penalty while pitting and came out behind Piastri. Piastri crossed the finish line first, with Verstappen and Charles Leclerc following him. Despite Leclerc’s podium, this was yet another disappointing race for Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, finishing seventh. Junior Anabel Weinstein said, “I think Lewis Hamilton is kind of getting screwed over with the Ferrari car, and I think it’s unfair to him.”
With this victory, Oscar Piastri has taken the lead of the World Drivers’ Championship, previously held by teammate Lando Norris, and remains the only multiple grand prix winner of 2025, having won three of the five grands prix. In the post-race press conference, Piastri stated, “Definitely one of the toughest races I’ve had in my career. So glad that I could come out on top of it.”