Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025

Race Highlights

• Oscar Piastri became the first Australian to lead the Drivers’ Championship since his manager, Mark Webber, in 2010
• Max Verstappen finished second despite a five-second penalty for a Turn 1 incident with Piastri
• Charles Leclerc took third place, maintaining Ferrari’s streak of at least one podium every season since 1981
• Lando Norris climbed from P10 to P4, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 41
• Kimi Antonelli and George Russell rounded out the top six for Mercedes, though the team struggled with tyre blistering and pace
• Liam Lawson dropped out of the points due to a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage
• Isack Hadjar scored the final point for Racing Bulls in 10th place

Race Summary

Oscar Piastri secured a definitive victory at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, marking his third win of the season and propelling him to the lead of the World Drivers’ Championship for the first time. Starting from second on the grid, Piastri capitalised on a first-lap incident involving polesitter Max Verstappen, who received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while defending his lead. Piastri ultimately overtook the Red Bull driver during the pit stop phase and maintained a controlled pace to cross the finish line 2.8 seconds ahead of the field.

The race for the final podium spot saw Charles Leclerc deliver a standout performance, securing Ferrari’s first podium of the 2025 season. Leclerc managed to hold off a late-race charge from Lando Norris, who executed an impressive recovery drive from 10th on the grid following a crash in qualifying. Norris utilized an alternate tyre strategy, starting on hard compounds to run longer than his rivals, which allowed him to charge through the field in the closing stages and finish a close fourth.

Further down the order, the race was marked by early drama and strategic battles. An opening-lap collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly resulted in early retirements for both drivers and triggered a safety car period. In the midfield, Williams achieved a notable double-points finish with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon taking eighth and ninth respectively, after a collaborative defensive effort to keep Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar at bay.