The Saudi Arabian race was amazing to say the least; with the FIA’s penalties stirring, and a new leader in the overall rankings, it was an action-packed race week.
In this rundown we will cover key events as well as any possible predictions for Miami in May. There is plenty of time for a change in the rankings – can anyone dethrone the new leader?
Piastri Dominates Grand Prix
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri won his 3rd Grand Prix out of the 5 races completed. This is a massive accomplishment for Piastri and adds more points to his tally.
His stellar win also pushed him into 1st overall. This means that it is his first ever championship lead in his career, and it is also the first time an Australian racer has done this since Mark Webber in 2010.
Even after a close call with Max Verstappen on one of the track corners, he remained in P1. His defence was remarkable in itself as he consistently regained his lead position. Overall, he certainly gave it his
all and impressed many.
However, many critics have noticed a lack of focus on Piastri from his team. They have pointed out that Zak Brown amongst others are concentrating on Lando Norris, further cemented by Piastri’s victory not
being filmed previously.
Despite him carrying the majority points for McLaren, Lando always seems to have eyes set upon him from media, McLaren etc. On the official F1 Instagram page fans have taken to commenting their opinions on this matter, with many quoting Webber’s famous, “Not bad for a number 2 driver.” It is seemingly being done in protest of Norris’ prioritisation.
Due to the FIA tightening up their rules, penalties occur more often.
Verstappen Clashes With FIA
Max Verstappen was not happy with his five second penalty. Piastri led by around 3 seconds, meaning that Verstappen technically could have ranked higher. As well as this, he expresses his disagreement with the reasoning behind his penalty.
He remains sure that Piastri pushed him off of the track, so he cut the first corner to avoid a crash. However, officials disagree massively. Therefore, Verstappen gained a penalty for cutting.
Many F1 fans have discussed this matter online and the majority say he deserved the penalty yet others link to the FIA’s strictness in recent times.
Overall Rankings
P10- Lance Stroll, 10 points
P9- Esteban Ocon, 14 points
P8- Alex Albon, 20 points
P7- Lewis Hamilton, 31 points
P6- Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 38 points
P5- Charles Leclerc, 47 points
P4- George Russell, 73 points
P3- Max Verstappen, 87 points
P2- Lando Norris, 89 points
P1- Oscar Piastri, 99 points.
The race had action and drama in every corner. With Verstappen’s penalty as well as a new lead, it was a good one! However, the ranks are going to change in Miami as more racers attempt to grasp more points. So, what can we expect? Share your ideas!