The only real question at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was whether Max Verstappen's blistering pace over a single lap could be extended throughout the race, or whether the longer stages would see the balance tip towards the more steady Oscar Piastri.
Max Verstappen had a great start, but Oscar Piastri also got off to a good start, and since both are tough riders, you could expect that not everyone would get to the first corner without problems. And so they did, Verstappen passing Piastri, who was in the lead, by going around the chicane illegally. While these shots were taking place, the safety car came out, Pierre Gasly went into the wall and Yuki Tsunoda did too. Neither the Frenchman nor the Japanese could continue, and many riders took the opportunity to switch to the hard tyres.
After the restart, which Red Bull managed without a hitch, Verstappen and his team were faced with a serious dilemma: should they give Piastri the position or risk a penalty? In the end, for tactical reasons, they decided to do the latter, but they didn't gain much from it. During the first "real" pit stops, RB received a five-second penalty, during which Piastri took the lead. What happened in the meantime in the field? Apart from a long stage by Charles Leclerc, nothing really noteworthy, although it was enjoyable to watch. The Scuderia Ferrari driver managed his tyres perfectly, and in the final part of the race he threatened the podium places, and with a great manoeuvre he overtook George Russell. Apart from him, Isaac Hadjar and the two Williams drivers also performed above average, all three of them in the points zone throughout. There was little action left in the final laps, one such moment being the approach of Lando Norris, who after improving six positions eventually moved up to fourth place.
However, he could not interfere in the game of the greats, because the race was won by Oscar Piastri, who now leads the championship with the second McLaren. Behind him, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc celebrated, they had reason to be happy, everyone contributed something extra that day.
Photo: Planet F1/ AP Photo
