Oscar Piastri secured his third win of the year and took the world championship lead at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Piastri benefited from a five-second penalty for Max Verstappen, who was deemed to have illegally kept the lead by going off-track at the first corner.
Despite having more than enough pace to keep second place, Verstappen’s penalty handed Piastri the win.
McLaren’s Lando Norris recovered from 10th on the grid to finish fourth behind Charles Leclerc, while Verstappen’s penalty allowed Piastri to take a 10-point lead in the championship.
Piastri expressed his satisfaction with the win, while Verstappen appeared annoyed at the penalty, keeping his post-race interview brief.
The Australian driver managed to stabilize his lead after being held up by Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin in the closing stages, crossing the line 2.8 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Ferrari’s Leclerc took an excellent third place after a strong strategy call, while Norris drove a solid race but couldn’t catch Leclerc due to losing pace on his medium tires.
