Oscar Piastri has prevailed in Sunday's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix to take the lead in the Drivers Championship.
The McLaren driver was second on the grid behind rival Max Verstappen and the outcome of the race was essentially decided at the first corner.
Although Verstappen came out of it with the lead, he was deemed to have gained an unfair advantage, the corner being adjudged to have been Piastri's with the Red Bull driver going off track and retaining first spot.
A five-second penalty was handed to Verstappen to serve at his first pit-stop, a pivotal punishment with Piastri winning by just 2.843 seconds.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc would seal the final podium place having held off late pressure from Lando Norris, who will be satisfied with fourth having started in 10th place on the grid.
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— Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2025
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Lights out! It's a chaotic start to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!! 😲#F1 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/VbWKlrLmmt
Who were the best of the rest?
In a race that featured just two retirements - both from a collision in the opening seconds of the race - and minimal drama, the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished fifth and sixth in the Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton earned seventh spot, the same place that he started on the grid, with Carlos Sainz Jr, Alex Albon and Isack Hadjar completing the top 10.
As for the Drivers Championship, Piastri now holds a 10-point advantage over Norris, with Verstappen a further two points adrift of second place.
Russell's fifth consecutive finish in the top five ensured that he remains within 26 points of Piastri, with Leclerc another 26 points behind in fifth.
Darren Plant
