Piastri Victorious in Saudi Arabia as Verstappen Penalized

Oscar Piastri has taken the lead in the Formula 1 championship standings for the first time after winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen`s chances of winning were hampered by a five-second penalty.

Verstappen and Piastri, starting from the front row, battled fiercely into the first corner. However, race stewards quickly penalized Verstappen for cutting the chicane and unfairly maintaining his lead over Piastri, who had a better start.

Despite staying within five seconds of Verstappen for the initial part of the race, Piastri moved into the lead after Verstappen served his penalty during the pit stops.

Piastri maintained his lead and won the race by three seconds, achieving his second win in two weeks and his third of the season. This victory puts him ahead of his teammate Lando Norris in the Drivers` Championship.

Norris, who started tenth due to a qualifying crash, finished fourth, narrowly missing out on overtaking Charles Leclerc for third place in the final laps.

Leclerc secured Ferrari`s first podium of the season by finishing third after overtaking George Russell of Mercedes.

Russell finished fifth, followed by his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in sixth. Lewis Hamilton finished seventh, struggling with grip throughout the race.

Williams achieved a double points finish with Carlos Sainz in eighth and Alex Albon in ninth. Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls completed the top ten.

The race saw a safety car deployment on the first lap due to a collision between Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull and Pierre Gasly of Alpine, resulting in both drivers retiring.

Penalty Decides Verstappen-Piastri Battle

The race was anticipated as a direct contest between Verstappen and Piastri for the championship lead, especially after Norris started further back. Piastri had a better start and challenged Verstappen into the first corner.

Verstappen defended aggressively on the outside, going off track at the chicane but staying ahead. This incident led to the stewards issuing a five-second penalty to Verstappen.

Despite Verstappen building a lead, Piastri pitted earlier and ultimately took the lead after Verstappen served his penalty. Piastri then controlled the race to victory.

After the race, Piastri acknowledged the importance of his start and the stewards` decision in securing his win.

Verstappen briefly thanked the Jeddah fans and expressed anticipation for the Miami race.

Saudi Arabian GP Results