Piastri Claims Victory at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Following Verstappen’s Penalty

Wow, where to even start with that race? So, Norris—our guy was on fire out there! McLaren, for reasons maybe only they fully understand, decided starting with the hard tire was a genius move. They ran him long before pitting, dreaming he’d get this magical open track to zoom on. And hey, four laps leading the pack isn’t too shabby, right? Before the pit stop party, anyhow.

Okay, so Norris swoops back in, claims fifth place, and he’s like six seconds or so behind Russell—eyes on third, no time for snacks. ‘Round lap 41, a few laps after Leclerc because why not, Norris passes Russell. It’s like, could it have been any later? Ah, but then the drama ramps up—he slices Leclerc’s lead down like he’s some kind of knife artist but just can’t quite nab him before waving the checkered flag.

Let’s backtrack a sec—apparently, he tangled with Hamilton early on. Got ahead, but then swoosh, Hamilton zips by again on the pit straight. Realizing maybe that wasn’t the best move, he wisely opts for Turn One on lap 15. Lesson learned the hard way, I suppose.

Then there’s Piastri, with McLaren’s whispers of caution in his ears, decides to go all daredevil around the outside. At least it was entertaining, right? Who even advises these fearless moves?

And oh, safety car shenanigans—Red Bull and Alpine bump elbows (or tires) pretty early on, but no more chaos follows. You’d expect more, but sixth place it is for Antonelli, keeping it calm. Hamilton seems like he’s got issues, not to mention still driving a Ferrari, which I guess we’ll never understand.

Fast forward-ish—Williams’ Sainz and Albon make eighth and ninth their cozy places, with Hadjar bringing up the rear for Racing Bull. It’s all very, “We’ll get them next time, eh?”

That was one heck of a ride—messy, but sometimes messy is exactly what gives it flavor, like salsa with a bit too much cilantro.