The Grand Prix at Jeddah was not without its excitements, and when the checkered flag was waved at the end of the race, Oscar Piastri had crossed the line not only first and ahead of Max Verstappen, but also as the new championship leader. His teammate Lando Norris is now second, after a disappointing crash in qualifying that left him starting tenth on the grid, and drove it home to a fourth place finish. However, there’s much more than the excitement at McLaren, so here are the highlights from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
- Gasly and Tsunoda Crash on First Lap
- There has been a safety car during every race in Saudi Arabia, and this Grand Prix was no different, with a first lap collision after the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda made contact with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. They both hit the barrier and Gasly immediately was out of the running, however it did look as if Tsunoda could carry on until he went into the pits and had to retire from the race. Luckily they were both okay, however both drivers will be disappointed, and Alpine especially after Jack Doohan, Gasly’s teammate, only managed to finish 17th.
- Piastri and Verstappen Battle
- The first lap also brought some action at the very front of the grid, with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen both getting their elbows out in the first corner. Piastri had the better reaction time, and was looking to overtake Verstappen and take the lead of the race, however, while the pair was battling, Max ran wide and ended up in front of the Aussie. Both drivers took to the radio to voice their opinions, but the stewards had the final call, and ultimately gave Verstappen a five second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. The penalty was later served during a pitstop, and helped piastri gain the lead and continue on to win the race.
- Norris Charging Through the Field
- Lando Norris started the race from tenth on the grid after a crash in Q3, and McLaren decided to start him on hard tires in order for him to gain a tire offset towards the end of the race. The strategy did seem to work well, despite the McLaren driver unable to score a podium finish. Norris had appeared to be extra determined during this race, and did get a lot of overtaking done to end up fourth by the time the checkered flag waved, clearing all but Leclerc ahead, Verstappen in second, and his teammate up in first.
- Double Points for Williams
- The Williams team definitely is starting to seem like a real contender in the midfield Championship fight, and the race in Saudi Arabia only proved that further, with Sainz and Albon coming home in eighth and ninth respectively, to score double points for the team. Towards the latter stages of the race, Isack Hadjar, who was also having a good race, looked to be threat behind in tenth, however with some teamwork in which Sainz allowed Albon to get close enough for DRS, the two Williams driver kept the Racing Bulls rookie at bay. This result for surely make not only Alex and the team happy, but will also boost Carlos Sainz’s confidence after the initial struggle adapting to the Williams car.
- The Championship Fight is Starting to Heat Up
- After the race in Jeddah, we now have an Australian driver leading the Drivers’ Championship for the first time since Mark Webber did 15 years ago. Oscar Piastri will be pleased at the results, however his teammate Lando, not as much. As the first triple header of the season draws to a close, it appears the Championship has really begun to fire up. Both McLaren drivers have the potential and the car to be World Champion by the end of the 2025 season, however there will always be Max Verstappen behind waiting to pounce on every opportunity. The drivers all deserve the break this week before Formula One returns, this time in the US for the race in Miami.
