After a brilliant drive in Saudi Arabia, Oscar Piastri has emerged as the new leader in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship.

His main rival in this race was Max Verstappen, who started from pole position. And although it looked like Piastri had everything under control after the first round of pit stops, Verstappen remained a constant threat.

Max Verstappen penalised once again for Turn 1 incident

Both Max and Oscar have built reputations as fearless racers who won’t shy away from a wheel-to-wheel battle. The Dutchman had already had experience with Jeddah’s tight Turn 1–2 complex back in 2021 against Hamilton, so it wasn’t surprising to see another tense moment between him and Piastri here.

The race start clearly favoured the Australian, who got the better launch despite both drivers being on medium tyres. The run to Turn 1 isn’t particularly long, but it was enough for Oscar to edge ahead and claim the inside line.

Seeing that there was no space left, Verstappen cut across the kerbs at Turn 2 and retained the lead. The incident was reviewed, and it was clear that Piastri held the corner at the apex – Verstappen was handed a 5-second penalty for gaining an advantage off track.

The biggest issue with this kind of penalty is that Verstappen still got to keep the lead – and, crucially, clean air. “Clean air” was one of the key phrases of the Jeddah weekend. Many teams shaped their race strategies around making sure their drivers had as much of it as possible.

Why did clean air matter so much? The high temperatures and humidity in Saudi Arabia heavily impact overall car cooling, especially for tyres, engines, and brakes. Driving in clean air allows tyres to stay in the optimal temperature window, which helps maintain consistent grip and performance.

Verstappen was clearly aware of this and did everything he could to keep that advantage. We also heard Piastri complain over the radio about how difficult it was to follow another car — but knowing Max had a penalty, Piastri likely focused on staying close enough to leapfrog him during the pit window.

Even in dirty air, Piastri showed strong pace. He pitted on lap 19 and rejoined behind Hamilton. It is possible that Red Bull expected Hamilton to slow Oscar down and held Max out longer as a result.

But Piastri made a bold move on Hamilton at a part of the track where overtaking is rare. When Max rejoined after his stop, the gap was just under three seconds – and the dynamic of the race had shifted.

More Saudi Arabian GP reaction

👉 Saudi GP conclusions: Hamilton issues diagnosed as Piastri puts Norris in corner

👉 Saudi Arabian GP driver ratings: Piastri reward for elbows out, Hamilton sinks again

Second stint: Oscar Piastri in control

Early in the second stint, Piastri had clean air again and was able to run consistent, strong laps. Since his team-mate Norris was on a different strategy and one of the last drivers to stop, Oscar began to report the effects of dirty air as he closed in.

Not long after, Norris boxed, and Piastri emerged as the race leader. From that point on, he maintained a stable gap to Max and secured another crucial victory in his quest for the world championship. It was also the first race of the season where the pole-sitter failed to win the main event.

After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri leads the championship with 99 points. His team-mate Norris is second with 89, while Max Verstappen is just two points behind him. George Russell sits fourth with 73 points.

This marks Oscar’s third win in five races – and with performances like this, he’s asserting himself as a genuine title contender.

Read next – F1 points all-time rankings: Where do Hamilton, Verstappen and Alonso feature?