A brilliant opening manoeuvre from Oscar Piastri has won him the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the lead in the Formula One drivers’ championship.
It is the first time an Australian has led the drivers’ championship for 15 years, following his manager Mark Webber in 2010.
At turn one Piastri nipped inside Max Verstappen, who had begun the race on pole, resulting in the Dutchman driving off the road to claim the lead.
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He was subsequently given a five-second penalty enabling Piastri to return to the front when the Red Bull rider pitted, and hold onto it all the way to the chequered flag.
Verstappen was 2.843 seconds behind with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc making up the podium. Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who began in tenth after crashing in qualifying, came fourth.
Australian rookie Jack Doohan finished 17th in his Alpine with 18 finishing.
After winning in Bahrain last week the 24-year-old Piastri is the first back-to-back winner this season and the new favourite for the title.
It is early days with only five races run, but after a disappointing ninth in the opening race in Melbourne Piastri is the form driver having won in Shanghai, Bahrain and Jeddah, and finished third in Suzuka.
“Great race, we did the parts we needed to do right,” Piastri said.
“It was a pretty tough race, one of the toughest in my career,” he added after 50 laps in 30 degree temperatures around a super-fast track.
Every previous race this season, including China’s sprint, had been won from pole but Piastri made an early bid to change that as he got a great launch off the line and moved to the inside of Verstappen.
The Dutchman dived across the run-off area and stayed ahead, with Piastri on the radio to say: “He needs to give that back, I was ahead.”
Verstappen’s view was: “He forced me off, there was no intention from him to make that corner.”
The stewards sided with Piastri as Verstappen received a five-second penalty.
“Well that is f****** lovely,” said Verstappen.
“Once I got on the inside I wasn’t coming out of turn one in second. In the end that’s what won us the race today,” Piastri said at the finish.
“I knew I had enough of my car in front to take the first corner. I braked as late as I could stay on the track. The way it was dealt with was the right thing.”
A penalty was not yet handed down when legendary commentator Martin Brundle said it was cut and dry.
“Piastri claimed the corner and Max got off the brake pedal,” he said.
“I don’t blame him (Verstappen). It’s all part of playing the game, gaming the system, gaming the rules. But I think if a driver’s on the inside, gets to the apex completely under control, you’re obliged then if you’re on the outside (to) slow down. The throttle works two ways.”
After the race Verstappen said he could not share his true feelings as “people can’t handle the truth”.
“It is better not to talk about it,” he said, seemingly pointing to the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“Anything I say may get me into trouble. Sometimes your words can be twisted or interpreted in a different way.
“You can’t share your opinions because it’s not appreciated as it used to be. People can’t handle the truth.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said his driver should not have been penalised, taking a printed photo of the incident to the press conference.
“At the apex of the corner, we believe that Max is clearly ahead,” Horner said.
“I can’t see how they got to that conclusion. I don’t know what happened to ‘let them race’. That seems to have been abandoned.”
Further back, Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly banged wheels and were both out — forcing a first-lap safety car.
Verstappen got the jump on Piastri at the restart as the McLaren was forced to defend from George Russell, who would later come fifth in the Mercedes.
Piastri pitted on lap 19, trailing by nearly three seconds, with Verstappen in two laps later. The Dutchman served his penalty and emerged three seconds behind.
On his out lap, Piastri completed a sensational overtake on Lewis Hamilton.
Once he gained clean air ahead of Verstappen, Piastri showcased the might of the McLaren to cruise to victory.
Piastri now has 99 points to Norris’s 89 and Verstappen’s 87.
Reigning champions McLaren stretched their lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ standings to 77 points.
The next race is in Miami on May 4.
