McLaren Strategists Praised for Neutralizing Max Verstappen’s Sly Attempt to Rob Oscar Piastri Despite Penalty

It was not ‘resurrection Sunday’ for Red Bull: Australian Oscar Piastri won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025, the fifth date of the Formula 1 World Championship. Lando Norris crossed the flag in the fourth position, giving the leadership to his partner Oscar Piastri. McLaren has said he will let his drivers fight, so there is an intense fight with the ‘Papaya Rules’ for being the main driver. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the pole position for …

ANALYSIS: What led to the first-corner melee between Verstappen and Piastri in Jeddah?

Max Verstappen secured his 44th pole position with a scintillating lap in last Saturday's Jeddah qualifying, but a suboptimal start saw the reigning champion lose the lead to McLaren's Oscar Piastri. F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo explains what has led to the first-corner incident between the Dutch and the Australian driver.

McLaren Strategists Praised for Neutralizing Max Verstappen’s Sly Attempt to Rob Oscar Piastri Despite Penalty

The opening lap of the 2025 Saudi Arabian GP was controversial and, in some ways, race-defining. Max Verstappen, starting from pole, got off to a slower start than second-placed Oscar Piastri, which made the Dutchman do something that spoiled his race. However, had it not been for the McLaren strategists, Verstappen’s brilliance might have actually helped him get off scot-free. Basically, Piastri was ahead of Verstappen at the apex heading into …

How Oscar Piastri is avoiding ‘negative’ emotions in F1 championship battle

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has opened up on how his laid-back approach in Formula 1 helps him to block out the “negative impact” his emotions can have on his career. The Australian took the World Championship lead in Jeddah with his third victory of the season, and first back-to-back wins, at the expense of his team-mate Lando Norris. Piastri bested Max Verstappen under the floodlights of the Jeddah Circuit, where his temperament was tested af…