The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix delivered high drama under the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with Oscar Piastri once again emerging as the standout star of the weekend. The McLaren driver claimed a composed third victory of the season to take over the lead in the Drivers’ Championship, becoming the first Australian to do so since Mark Webber. From Verstappen’s Turn 1 penalty to Lando Norris’ crash and recovery, and a fiercely competitive qualifying session, the weekend had it all — read our report below to catch up…
The Chronicle Headlines
- Piastri emerged victorious in Jeddah to take the Championship lead after the 2025 Saudi Arabian GP F1 weekend. The McLaren driver’s third win of the season makes him the first Aussie to lead the standings since Webber.
- Polesitter Verstappen was penalised after an incident at Turn 1 with Piastri, dropping him to P2 with a five-second penalty served during the race.
- Lando Norris recovered his weekend after a disastrous crash in Quali, driving to P4 and staying above Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship.
- Charles Leclerc sealed Ferrari’s first main race podium of the season with a P3 result in Jeddah, clinching the last spot on the podium from a charging Norris.
- Pierre Gasly topped the times in FP1 after the Alpine team cranked the engine up, but the weekend ended in disaster after a first-lap tangle with Yuki Tsunoda left them both out of the race.
- A double points finish for Williams saw the Grove team move to P5 in the Constructors’ Championship, with Sainz and Albon finishing in P8 and P9 respectively.
Gasly Sets the Pace in FP1
Pierre Gasly lit up the timesheets in the opening practice session, pulling off a surprise fastest lap in his Alpine to go P1 ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. It was a strong statement from the Frenchman, who arrived in Jeddah fresh off Alpine’s first points of the season in Bahrain. The Alpine engine was turned up, sending the Frenchman to the top of the times.
The session, held under hot and humid conditions, saw plenty of early activity. Haas’ Esteban Ocon led the charge out of the pits, while most teams began their runs on medium tyres. There were a few close calls, including brushes with the wall from Gasly and Lewis Hamilton, and a slightly more unconventional issue for Oscar Piastri—his helmet drink system was leaking.
George Russell topped the early runs with a 1m 29.674s before Carlos Sainz, now in the Williams, briefly took second after a switch to softs. Norris then laid down a strong benchmark with a 1m 29.246s—until Gasly swooped in with a session-best 1m 29.239s, just 0.007s quicker.
The final top five were Gasly, Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, and Alex Albon. Russell ended sixth after reporting “weird” braking issues. Sainz, Hamilton, Verstappen, and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top ten, with Liam Lawson (P11) investigated post-session for a potential pit lane violation. The Kiwi was given a reprimand for entering the painted area between the pit entry and the track. No other penalty was given.
Piastri Leads a Tightly Packed FP2
With the sun setting over Jeddah, FP2 brought more representative conditions ahead of Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race. All eyes were on Gasly after his FP1 heroics, but it was McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who ultimately topped the session with a 1m 28.430s, edging out Max Verstappen by 0.117s.
Norris led early on before yellow flags came out following a lock-up and spin by Lance Stroll. Once drivers switched to soft tyres, a flurry of quick laps reshuffled the order—Sainz briefly went fastest before Verstappen took over, only for Piastri to eclipse them all.
The top 10 were separated by less than a second, with Russell, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris, and Albon all looking competitive. Red Bull’s Tsunoda ended the session with a crash into the final corner barriers, bringing out a red flag with just minutes to go.
Gabriel Bortoleto didn’t set a time due to a fuel leak that kept his Kick Sauber stuck in the garage, costing him vital running time around the Jeddah Corniche circuit.
McLaren Duo Lead FP3
McLaren continued their strong weekend practice run with a 1-2 finish in FP3, Norris leading Piastri by just 0.024s. Russell slotted into third as teams made their final setup tweaks in 30-degree heat.
After an initially quiet track, Gabriel Bortoleto made up for lost FP2 time by heading out first. Soon, a busy circuit and soft tyre runs saw Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen trade the top spot. Russell briefly took P1 with a 1m 28.214s, but the McLarens responded: Piastri clocked a 1m 27.513s before Norris went even faster with a 1m 27.489s.
Verstappen ended fourth, 0.845s off the pace, while Hamilton’s struggles persisted—finishing 12th, four tenths down on Leclerc in P5.
Albon and Sainz impressed again in P6 and P7 respectively, while Gasly, Tsunoda, and Antonelli rounded out the top ten. Tsunoda showed solid pace after his FP2 crash, and Hadjar was hampered by traffic, highlighting how tricky qualifying could be.
Verstappen Delivers in Quali as McLaren Falter
Max Verstappen secured a stunning pole position under the lights in Jeddah, edging Piastri by just 0.010s in a dramatic Q3. The Red Bull star timed his final lap to perfection after a red flag caused by Norris’ crash at Turn 5 ended the Brit’s hopes of a front-row start.
After Piastri laid down the first Q3 time, George Russell responded with a provisional pole lap before Verstappen’s 1m 27.294s proved unbeatable. Russell held onto P3, ahead of Leclerc in fourth and Antonelli—impressive again—in fifth for Mercedes.
Carlos Sainz qualified sixth for Williams, marking his best showing yet with the team. Hamilton, still adapting to life at Ferrari, ended seventh. Tsunoda put in another strong showing for Red Bull in P8, while Gasly took P9 and Norris—without a Q3 time—rounded out the top ten.
Just missing out on Q3 was Alex Albon in P11 by a mere 0.007s, followed by a disappointed Liam Lawson in P12. Alonso could only manage P13 for Aston Martin, while Hadjar (P14), Bearman (P15), and Stroll (P16) failed to progress.
Further down, Jack Doohan qualified 17th, with Nico Hulkenberg (P18), Esteban Ocon (P19), and Gabriel Bortoleto (P20) completing the order—Bortoleto spinning on his final lap.
A New Championship Leader
Race Day delivered more fireworks as Oscar Piastri claimed his third win of the season, executing a composed and clinical drive to take the chequered flag – and with it, the lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
At lights out, Piastri and pole-sitter Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel, with the Dutchman controversially cutting the corner at Turn 1. While Verstappen initially held P1, the stewards handed him a five-second penalty for the move. Once served during his pit stop, it handed the advantage back to Piastri.
Norris, meanwhile, embarked on a heroic recovery from P10, running long on hard tyres and briefly inheriting the race lead. But once his strategy cycled through, Piastri was back in front and never looked back, crossing the line 2.8s clear of Verstappen. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari with a solid third-place finish – his first of the year.
Norris narrowly missed out on a podium in fourth, with Mercedes duo Russell and Antonelli finishing fifth and sixth. Hamilton brought home more points for Ferrari in seventh, while Williams celebrated a double points finish with Sainz in P8 and Albon in P9.
Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10 after a feisty late-race scrap with Albon, despite pressure from behind and a close call with track limits. The rookie now sits on equal points with his sister team’s second driver, Yuki Tsunoda.
Disappointment at the Back of the Field
Fernando Alonso once again fell short in P11, still seeking his first points of 2025. Behind him, Liam Lawson was hit with a 10-second penalty after leaving the track and gaining an advantage during a tussle with Jack Doohan. The Haas pair of Bearman and Ocon ended up 13th and 14th, with Hulkenberg, Stroll, Doohan, and Bortoleto filling out the remaining classified finishers.
There was early disappointment for Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, who collided on lap one, forcing both out and triggering a Safety Car.
Championship Shake-Up
Oscar Piastri now leads the Drivers’ Championship by 10 points over teammate Lando Norris, becoming the first Australian to top the standings since his manager, Mark Webber, did so 15 years ago. McLaren’s consistency, combined with Verstappen’s penalty and Ferrari’s improving form, has thrown the title race wide open heading into the next round.
Up Next
F1 heads to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix – Piastri’s home race – with the McLaren driver now firmly in the spotlight. Can he hold onto his lead, or will Verstappen and Norris strike back?
FEATURED IMAGE: McLaren Racing
[…] time out in Saudi Arabia, Oscar Piastri secured his third win of the season, overtaking his teammate Lando Norris in the […]