The 5th round of the Formula 1 World Championship concluded on the seaside circuit located in the largest industrial city of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah.
After the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri (both from McLaren), and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) were all contenders for the lead in the championship, with only 8 points separating them. During the first free practice sessions, in asphalt temperatures reaching 60°C under the scorching sun, Alpine driver Pierre Gasly surprised everyone by setting the fastest lap. However, in the following two sessions, the top three contenders showed their true pace, and they were seen as the main favorites heading into qualifying.
In the battle for pole position, an unexpected event occurred—Lando Norris made a mistake in Turn 5 and had to retire from the session. In this situation, the main contender for pole was his teammate, Oscar Piastri, but four-time champion Max Verstappen delivered a near-perfect lap and managed to beat Piastri by just 0.01 seconds to claim pole.
The fate of the race was decided in the first corner. Verstappen, who had a slow start, passed Piastri on the outside to take the lead. However, since race stewards did not uphold the request to give the position back, Verstappen received a 5-second penalty. As there were no position changes until the first pit stops, Verstappen served his penalty during his tire change and returned to the track behind Piastri.
Despite Verstappen's relentless pressure, Oscar Piastri defended his lead and secured his third victory of the season. Max, starting from pole, finished in second place.
The battle for the final podium position was intense. At the start, George Russell of Mercedes was in third place, but later, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who pitted later, passed him for the position. Lando Norris, who started 10th after a crash on Saturday, climbed up to challenge Russell and later closed in on Leclerc for third place. However, the Monegasque driver held on to his position, securing his and Ferrari's first podium of the season. Lando, on the other hand, finished off the podium for the first time this season.
The remaining positions were filled by Mercedes drivers. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli's 6th place finish deserves special mention. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who started 7th, finished the race in the same position. The top 10 were rounded off by Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, along with Racing Bulls' Ayzek Hejer.
As a result of this race, Oscar Piastri became the new championship leader for the first time in his career, with 99 points. He is 10 points ahead of his teammate Lando Norris, while Max Verstappen is 2 points behind them. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren continues to lead with a clear advantage, holding 188 points
Now, the teams face a two-week break before the next race, which will take place at the Miami City Circuit in early May.