Saudi Arabia - Race

After a qualifying session that gave us quite an unexpected polesitter, the scene was set for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Most drivers chose to begin the race on medium tires, with the only outliers being Norris, Hadjar, Stroll, and Hulkenberg, all of whom bolted on the hards. The cars were ready, the tensions were high, and the time came for the race to start. 

Piastri immediately attacked Verstappen, and their fight caused issues in the very first corner of the track. While the Red Bull was trying to defend the McLaren's attacks, it went off track and cut the corner to hold onto the lead. The move was quickly reported to the stewards. Before a decision regarding a possible penalty could be reached, something else caught the attention of all viewers. Not far from that same corner, Tsunoda hit the back of Gasly's Alpine, sending it straight into the wall. The incident brought out a yellow flag and a safety car. Gasly finished his race immediately, and even though Tsunoda managed to get his car to the pit lane, he never made it back out onto the track. 

The safety car was brought into the pits on lap 3. As racing resumed, so did the investigation into the incident from the very first seconds of the race. After some deliberation, the stewards decided to award a five-second penalty to Verstappen. Even though the Dutchman was still leading the race on paper, Piastri was the real net leader. 

During the first lap, Hamilton managed to overtake Sainz. Norris followed his lead a few laps later, and the two met on track. Norris was determined to find a way past the Ferrari. On lap 13, he managed to temporarily find himself before Hamilton, only to have his rival take the position back in the next DRS zone. The same situation occurred a lap late. It was on lap 15 that he moved up permanently, placing himself at P6. Four laps later, he moved up another spot, this time having snuck past the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. 

Piastri pitted on lap 20, while Verstappen drove to the pit lane two laps later. The Dutchman had to serve his penalty, which dropped him behind the McLaren, restoring the "proper" order. Verstappen wasn't far from Piastri, but he was put at a disadvantage after he found himself right behind Hamilton's Ferrari. The British driver spent a while defending from his rival, letting him pass by only as he dove into the pits. The fight had little impact on the race order, but it did steal a few seconds from the driver fighting for a win. 

Out of all the top contenders, Leclerc and Norris were the ones who extended their first stint the longest. Both were able to produce good laps and not lose much time in comparison to the rest of the field. The Ferrari driver pitted on lap 30, while the McLaren stayed out until lap 35. After their pits, Leclerc ended up 4th and Norris placed right behind him.

With the advantage of his fresher rubber, Leclerc began chasing Russell to try and get on the podium. He was within the Brit's DRS by lap 37 and overtook him a lap later. This made the Mercedes fall into the hands of Norris, who, soon enough, also overtook it. Norris went on to spend the rest of the race trying to catch Leclerc. As the laps melted away, he did manage to get close, but never quite close enough. Having smelled the chance of a podium finish, Leclerc was willing to do whatever it took to keep it. 

A similar fight was brewing between the two cars in the very front. The gap between Piastri and Verstappen decreased as the former got stuck between a few back markers, giving Verstappen a glimmer of hope that winning was a possibility. In the end, he couldn't quite catch up to the Australian. Piastri won for the third time this season and became the leader in the fight for the title of World Champion. Verstappen and Piastri stood by him on the podium, while Norris watched on, consolidated only by achieving the fastest lap of the race.

Order of the grid:

1. Oscar Piastri

2. Max Verstappen

3. Charles Leclerc

4. Lando Norris

5. George Russell

6. Kimi Antonelli

7. Lewis Hamilton

8. Carlos Sainz

9. Alex Albon 

10. Isack Hadjar

11. Liam Lawson

12. Fernando Alonso

13. Oliver Bearman

14. Esteban Ocon

15. Nico Hulkenberg

16. Lance Stroll

17. Jack Doohan

18. Gabriel Bortoleto

DNF: Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda