The stewards played a key role in the outcome of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a first-lap incident involving the two front-runners. Max Verstappen started on pole but it was Oscar Piastri who took victory after the Red Bull racer was punished over their duel at the first corner.
Verstappen went off track to retain the lead after Piastri got the better launch off the line and both drivers were quick to point the finger at each other. The stewards’ decision went in the McLaren driver’s favour and that proved to be the race-defining moment.
Piastri had lost the lead to Verstappen who had the clean air but it was not enough of an advantage to ensure he would still have the lead after their respective pit stops. By the time the Red Bull came back out of the pit lane, he was behind the Australian and that was that.
Lando Norris, who had started 10th because of his crash in qualifying, was on a bold strategy which paid off in the form of several places gained. But he was denied a spot on the podium as Charles Leclerc did enough to ensure a first top-three finish for Ferrari this year.
For Lewis Hamilton, it was another difficult outing as he complained that he wasn’t able to make any progress on the hard tyres. He started seventh and finished there, moving past only Carlos Sainz of those who had started ahead while Norris’ progress cancelled that out.
Piastri starting on the front row with Verstappen was billed as a test of the Australian’s resolve when duelling with the Dutchman. And he stood up to the Red Bull racer well at the first corner after getting a better launch off the line on the cleaner side of the grid.
Both braked as late as possible and so the outcome was probably to be expected. Piastri took a wider line than might usually be the case for the driver on the inside of the track and, to avoid a collision, Verstappen went off track, cut the turn two corner and rejoined the track still in the lead.
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He argued that he had been pushed off track and Piastri claimed his rival had gained an advantage by leaving the circuit. In the end, after a safety car period following a first-lap crash which took both Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly out of the race, the stewards sided with the McLaren man and Verstappen was slapped with a five-second time penalty.
The Dutchman retained track position and was showing strong pace in the clean air that came with the lead. But after he served that penalty at his first pit stop of the Grand Prix, he re-emerged back on the track a few seconds behind Piastri who was the de facto leader of the race at half distance, despite team-mate Norris being ahead because he was yet to stop.
The Brit was on an alternative strategy after a crash in qualifying left him stranded down in 10th place on the grid. He started on the hard tyres and then switched to the faster mediums with 16 laps to go, coming back out onto the track in fifth place with an overcut on Antonelli and Hamilton thanks to having had that vital clean air at the front of the pack for some time.
Norris was chasing Leclerc down in the final stages but just ran out of time and had to settle for fourth place. That meant a 13-point swing in Piastri’s favour, putting him at the top of the pile by 10 points and making him the first man from Down Under to lead the drivers’ standings since Mark Webber in 2010.
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