The 2025 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, held on April 20 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, delivered high-stakes drama and a significant shift in the championship standings. McLaren's Oscar Piastri claimed his third victory of the season, overtaking teammate Lando Norris to lead the Drivers' Championship with 99 points.
The race began with immediate tension as polesitter Max Verstappen and Piastri battled into Turn 1. Verstappen ran wide, rejoining ahead of Piastri, but was handed a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off-track. Verstappen was incredibly frustrated with the penalty, as he believed Piastri didn't leave him any room.
Lap 1 also saw a collision between Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly which brought out the safety car, continuing the trend of safety car deployments in every Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to date.
Following the penalty to Verstappen, Piastri overtook the Dutch driver during the pit stops and maintained his composure to finish 2.843 seconds ahead.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured third place, marking the team's first podium of the season. He did an excellent job to keep Norris behind, who applied serious pressure on the last few laps whilst in a far superior car.
Lando Norris, recovering from a qualifying crash that placed him tenth on the grid, executed a strategic race to finish fourth. However, given the strength of the McLaren he had at his disposal, many were expecting him to be at least on the podium by the time the chequered flag was waved. His inability to pass Leclerc perhaps shows his wheel to wheel driving isn't good enough to win a championship.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Lewis Hamilton, still adapting to his new Ferrari, ended in seventh and expressed ongoing discomfort with the car's setup.
The top ten was completed by Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon for Williams, and Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls.
Current Drivers Standings after 5 Races:
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 99 points
- Lando Norris (McLaren) - 89 points
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 87 points
- George Russell (Mercedes) - 73 points
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 47 points
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 38 points
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 31 points
- Alexander Albon (Williams) - 20 points
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 14 points
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 10 points
Current Constructors Standings after 5 Races:
- McLaren - 188 points
- Mercedes - 111 points
- Red Bull - 89 points
- Ferrari - 78 points
- Williams - 25 points
- Haas - 20 points
- Aston Martin - 10 points
- RB - 8 points
- Alpine - 6 points
- Kick Sauber - 6 points
