SAUDI ARABIAN GP: PIASTRI SETS THE PECKING ORDER

Oscar Piastri sent a clear message to the paddock: he’s the man to beat at the start of this 2025 season. With his victory in Jeddah — his second in a row, third of the year, and fifth overall — the 24-year-old Australian takes over the lead in the championship, while forcing McLaren to confront an increasingly evident shift in team dynamics.

After a costly mistake in qualifying, Lando Norris managed to recover well in the race, climbing from P10 to P4. Still, the damage was done — and when compared to Piastri’s flawless performance from lights out to checkered flag, the contrast couldn’t be clearer.

The long-awaited head-to-head with Max Verstappen finally materialized, as the two lined up side-by-side on the front row. Piastri nailed the start, grabbed the inside line, and took the lead into Turn 1. Verstappen, true to form, tried to fight back with a deep lunge, cutting the corner and emerging ahead. But this time, with updated stewarding guidelines, the maneuver didn’t go unpunished: a five-second penalty handed to the Dutchman changed the face of his race. Even so, McLaren’s pace — and Piastri’s composure — suggested that victory may have been his regardless.

Red Bull showed signs of recovery after their collapse in Bahrain. Verstappen took pole and finished second, while Yuki Tsunoda impressed in qualifying by reaching Q3. His race, however, ended prematurely after a Lap 1 collision with Pierre Gasly. Will Red Bull be McLaren’s main rival this season? Possibly — but with Miami up next and teams fluctuating so much, it’s hard to say for sure.

Ferrari had a pleasant surprise, at least with Charles Leclerc. The SF-25, often criticized for lacking race pace, looked strong across the entire distance this time. Leclerc held P4 for much of the race, then capitalized on an opportunity to overtake George Russell and claim his first podium of 2025. His eight-second gap to Piastri at the finish was Ferrari’s closest margin to a race winner so far this year.

Lewis Hamilton had a quieter weekend — seventh on the grid, seventh at the finish. His wheel-to-wheel fight with Norris was fun to watch but ultimately fruitless, and he faded in the second stint. Mercedes, which had shown promise in earlier rounds, lacked their usual spark in Jeddah. Russell could only manage P5, while rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli continued to impress with a gritty drive to sixth, despite not being in top physical form. The 18-year-old from Bologna is having a stellar rookie season.

Williams also had reason to smile. For the second time this year, both cars finished in the points — and this time, without needing post-race penalties to help. Carlos Sainz fought hard for P8, with Alexander Albon finishing just behind in P9, holding off Isack Hadjar, who once again delivered points for Racing Bulls.

Just outside the top ten, Fernando Alonso had a solid run to 11th, ahead of Liam Lawson. It was a tough weekend for Haas, far off their Bahrain pace, and for Sauber, who continue to languish at the back of the grid. Alpine’s Gasly was out of the race almost immediately, thanks to Tsunoda’s overly optimistic move. Jack Doohan, meanwhile, spent the race in anonymity, unable to make progress.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.