PIASTRI CAPITALIZES, NORRIS WASTES, LECLERC SHINES

The Saudi weekend had a familiar flavor—almost a déjà vu of Bahrain. Oscar Piastri delivered a composed victory, while Lando Norris squandered yet another opportunity. And yet, the early signs pointed to a different story. Norris had dominated Friday, showing great pace and a clear hunger for redemption after the previous week’s disappointment.

Everything seemed to be going his way—until the decisive moment in qualifying, when Lando made a crucial mistake, ending up in the wall and throwing away what had been a very promising weekend. In the race, he tried to fight back, but between a less aggressive tire degradation than in Bahrain, some questionable decision-making in wheel-to-wheel battles—like the one with Hamilton—and a red-hot Leclerc, the podium was out of reach.

The standings now show Piastri leading the championship, ten points clear of his teammate and just two ahead of Verstappen. For Oscar, the race was much more straightforward: a perfect launch off the line and a controlled drive to the finish. He might have won regardless, but without Verstappen’s aggressive (and penalized) move at Turn 1, things could have turned out differently. The opening stint clearly showed Max had the pace to challenge the Australian, making the overtake anything but a given—especially considering McLaren’s well-known struggles in traffic.

Verstappen’s penalty was fair—especially given how blatantly he cut the first chicane without a second thought—but it still raises a few eyebrows: why five seconds and not a forced position swap? And why no warning for his grid placement, when just a week earlier Norris was penalized for the exact same infraction? Maybe it comes down to the tiniest of margins, but on camera, the violation seemed pretty clear.

Meanwhile, a brilliant race from Leclerc, who delivered a smart and consistent performance. Ferrari’s pit wall opted for an alternate strategy from the start, and the SF-25 responded well, particularly on the mediums during the opening stint. His third-place finish was fully deserved. Tell that to the critics who love to crucify Ferrari’s unorthodox strategies when they don’t work out.

Hamilton, on the other hand, looked less sharp. His early battle with Norris only slowed him down—letting Lando through immediately would’ve been more logical than holding him up for three laps and losing valuable seconds, which eventually showed in his gap to Antonelli. As for his gloomy post-race comments, Lewis has long had a flair for pessimism, even during Mercedes’ glory days. Nothing new there.

Solid outing for Williams as well: Sainz and Albon worked together in the closing stages to lock in eighth and ninth. Rounding out the points was Hadjar—once again consistent and alert.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

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