Oscar Piastri took his third win of the year and moved into the world championship lead at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, benefiting from a penalty for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Piastri Takes Title Lead in Saudi Arabia
Oscar Piastri took his third win of the year and moved into the world championship lead at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver benefited from a penalty for Red Bull’s ‘Max Verstappen, who was given a five-second penalty for illegally keeping the lead from Piastri by going off the track at the first corner.’
Ricky Piastri is an Australian racing driver.
He was born on May 6, 2001, in Melbourne, Australia.
Piastri made his Formula 2 debut in 2020 and won the championship title in 2021.
He also participated in several Formula 3 events and finished as a runner-up in the 2019 season.
In 2022, Piastri was announced as the driver for Alpine's Formula One team, replacing Fernando Alonso.
Piastri started strong, getting much of the better launch and being completely alongside Verstappen as they entered the first corner. However, after cutting the chicane, Verstappen retained the lead on the exit and claimed that Piastri had forced him off. The stewards disagreed, giving Verstappen his penalty, which he served at his pit stop.
Piastri was now in a 4.8-second lead, which he managed to stabilise for the rest of the race. He was held up by Lance Stroll‘s tardy Aston Martin as he came up to lap the Canadian, but once clear, he was able to edge away again and crossed the line 2.8 seconds ahead.
Verstappen‘s superlative first stint ensured he kept second place behind Piastri. Ferrari’s Charles ‘Leclerc brought himself into contention for the podium with an outstanding first stint, eventually taking a well-deserved third place after passing George Russell on lap 41.’
Lando Norris recovered from a crash in qualifying to finish fourth, closing in on Leclerc as the race reached its closing stages but ultimately unable to catch him. The Australian’s third win in five races puts him 10 points clear of Norris in the championship, with Verstappen just two points further adrift.
Lando Norris is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren.
Born on September 13, 1999, in Bristol, England, he began karting at the age of eight and quickly rose through the ranks to become a renowned junior open-wheel driver.
In 2014, he won the European F3 Open championship, and in 2015, he became the youngest winner of the Formula Renault Eurocup.
Norris made his Formula One debut in 2019 and has since established himself as one of the sport's rising stars.
The victory moves Piastri into a strong position for the world championship, and he expressed his gratitude to the team for their work on starts, which ultimately won the race.
