Oscar Piastri moved ahead of Lando Norris and into the drivers’ championship lead with victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen paid the price for a first-lap penalty.
Pole-sitter Verstappen was penalised for cutting the corner at turn one to stay ahead of Piastri, allowing the McLaren man to jump in front at the pit stops and he never looked back.
Piastri made it back-to-back wins and three for the season to move 10 points ahead of team-mate Norris at the top of the standings – the first Australian to lead since Mark Webber in 2010.
Charles Leclerc claimed third for Ferrari with Mercedes’ George Russell fifth. Lewis Hamilton came home where he started, taking seventh for Ferrari.
Follow the Saudi Arabian GP with The Independent
F1 SAUDI ARABIAN GP - LATEST UPDATES
- Oscar Piastri wins the Saudi Arabian GP; Verstappen 2nd; Leclerc 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 in Jeddah
- Lewis Hamilton lost for words after finishing 7th:
- Red Bull consider appeal after Verstappen penalty
- PENALTY! Max Verstappen handed five-second time penalty
The ‘sensational’ Oscar Piastri moment which secured F1 triumph in Saudi Arabia
08:40 , Kieran JacksonIt was the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s critical juncture. And no, it was not the controversial lap-one clash between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, officiated fairly and promptly by the stewards, who handed the Red Bull driver a five-second penalty. Of course, the punishment was a pivotal verdict. But it was not the pivotal moment.
In fact, the moment which won Oscar Piastri the race came 20 laps in.
The ‘sensational’ Oscar Piastri moment which secured F1 triumph in Saudi Arabia
Charles Leclerc after finishing P3:
08:02“I was very happy with the race today, we maximised absolutely everything – very proud of what we’ve done. I never expected to finish here, I thought this race was about defending the cars behind.”
“Bryan [Bozzi, engineer] was very relaxed on the pit-wall, bit more intense inside the car, we have a very good relationship.”
F1 constructor standings after Saudi Arabia GP
07:02 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 188 points
2. Mercedes - 111 points
3. Red Bull - 89 points
4. Ferrari - 78 points
5. Williams - 25 points
6. Haas - 20 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Racing Bulls - 8 points
9. Alpine - 6 points
10. Sauber - 6 points
George Russell on P5:
06:00 , Kieran Jackson“Tonight was all about the tyres and unfortunately, ours were suffering from overheating.
“I was pushing to stay with Verstappen at the start of the second stint, but it quickly became clear that we weren't going to be able to hang on.
“I tried to manage the tyres a little more but, with the tyre age offset they had built, Leclerc and Norris were able to move ahead. After that, my tyres dropped off the cliff and it was all about just bringing the car home in P5.
“Ultimately, we didn't have the pace today. Even if we had managed more at different points, that was the maximum available to us this evening.”
F1 driver standings after Saudi Arabia GP
05:02 , Kieran Jackson4. George Russell – 75 points
5. Charles Leclerc – 50 points
6. Kimi Antonelli – 40 points
8. Alex Albon – 20 points
9. Esteban Ocon – 14 points
10. Lance Stroll – 10 points
11. Pierre Gasly – 6 points
12. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
13. Ollie Bearman – 6 points
14. Isack Hadjar – 5 points
16. Carlos Sainz – 5 points
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Jack Doohan – 0 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
Toto Wolff not happy with 'worst performance of the year'
04:02 , Kieran Jackson“That was our worst performance of the year so far.
“The pace dropped away as our tyres overheated and that was frustrating. We came into the race hoping we could compete for the podium but, with the limitations we had with the tyres, P5 and P6 was the maximum for us.
“We need to analyse our performance, work out why that was the case, and quickly find improvements. The next race in Miami is another race on a hot track surface so we will need to be better than we were today if we want to avoid a repeat performance.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella on Saudi GP:
03:02 , Kieran JacksonOn Oscar’s side, he drove an excellent race, and was able to convert his front-row start into a win, thanks to some smart and calm driving. This was a well-deserved win for Oscar.
“Meanwhile, Lando was able to put a difficult Qualifying behind him and showed his resilience as he fought his way back through the field, scoring important points.”
Lando Norris on 4th place finish:
02:02 , Kieran Jackson"I make life tough for myself." 🥲
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 20, 2025
Lando Norris reflects on missing out on a podium finish. pic.twitter.com/nd12Amg3NP
Fred Vasseur on Hamilton's race:
01:00 , Kieran Jackson“Lewis struggled more with his pace in general and was not helped by the fact that he was often in dirty air.
“We need to stay focused and work flat out and I’m sure the results will come. From tomorrow we start preparing for Miami, and we will continue to deal with this season race by race.
“Focusing on ourselves. It’s the same approach and attitude we had last year and we plan to stick with it.”
F1 constructor standings after Saudi Arabian GP
Sunday 20 April 2025 23:59 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 188 points
2. Mercedes - 111 points
3. Red Bull - 89 points
4. Ferrari - 78 points
5. Williams - 25 points
6. Haas - 20 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Racing Bulls - 8 points
Christian Horner shows photographic evidence of Verstappen-Piastri incident
Sunday 20 April 2025 23:22 , Kieran Jackson“I thought it was very harsh.
“We didn’t concede the position, because we didn’t believe that he’d done anything wrong. You can quite clearly see at the apex of the corner, we believe that Max is clearly ahead.
“They’ve both gone in at the same speed, Oscar’s run deep into the corner, Max can’t just disappear at this point in time, so perhaps these rules need to be relooked at.
“I don’t know what happened to ‘let them race’ on the first lap, that just seemed to have been abandoned. I don’t know where he’s supposed to go, he can’t just vanish.”
Horner added that is was “highly unlikely” that they will appeal, but did not categorically rule it out.
Max Verstappen gives blunt 13-second answer after penalty in Saudi Arabia GP
Sunday 20 April 2025 23:01 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen refused to discuss the five-second penalty which changed the course of the Saudi Arabian GP – as the reigning F1 world champion finished behind winner Oscar Piastri.
Red Bull driver Verstappen, who started on pole, reacted slower at lights out with second-placed Piastri surging down the inside heading into turn one.
Verstappen left the racetrack, failing to make the corner, but maintained the lead from the McLaren driver – who appealed for the Dutchman to give the place back.
Full quotes below:
Max Verstappen gives blunt 13-second answer after F1 penalty in Saudi Arabia GP
RACE REPORT: Oscar Piastri wins Saudi Arabian GP after controversial Max Verstappen penalty
Sunday 20 April 2025 22:01 , Kieran JacksonOscar Piastri moved ahead of Lando Norris and into the F1 drivers’ championship lead with victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen paid the price for a first-lap penalty.
Pole-sitter Verstappen was penalised for cutting the corner at turn one to stay ahead of Piastri, allowing the McLaren man to jump in front at the pit stops and he never looked back.
Piastri made it back-to-back wins and three for the season to move 10 points ahead of team-mate Norris at the top of the standings – the first Australian to lead since Mark Webber in 2010.
Full report below:
Oscar Piastri wins Saudi Arabian GP after controversial Max Verstappen penalty
Lewis Hamilton lost for words after finishing 7th:
Sunday 20 April 2025 21:33 , Kieran JacksonAsked if he felt comfortable at all, in the fifth race of the 2025 season, Hamilton replied: “No. There wasn’t one second.
“Clearly the car is capable of being P3, Charles did a great job today, I can’t blame the car.”
Questioned if he had any idea why the car wasn’t working for him, Hamilton simply responded: “No.”
Lando Norris after finishing fourth:
Sunday 20 April 2025 21:14“I’m pretty hot, it was the best we could have done today - shame to miss out on the podium. We were close, Charles drove a good race! Not enough to get him, I’m pleased on the whole, I make life tough for myself. I’ve got to help myself a little bit.
“I don’t know why people are so surprised, just because people. People keep talking this c***!
“We have work to do, people keep saying we’re best but that’s just pace in practice, then we don’t have anything left in quali. I’m happy with the work we’re doing, we just need to recalibrate, we have a quick car but clearly not enough.”
Martin Brundle shunned by Usher on F1 grid walk in Saudi Arabia
Sunday 20 April 2025 21:00 , Kieran JacksonMartin Brundle was shunned by American singer-songwriter Usher on the F1 grid in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Brundle, undertaking his usual pre-race grid walk, attempted to speak to the eight-time Grammy winner, who is attending the race this weekend in Jeddah.
Yet Usher, flanked by a bodyguard, did not show any interest in speaking to Brundle.
Full story below:
Martin Brundle shunned by Usher on F1 grid walk in Saudi Arabia
McLaren CEO Zak Brown:
Sunday 20 April 2025 20:41 , Kieran Jackson“That was everything we hoped for. We finished first and fourth, excited to go celebrate.
“We thought a podium was possible for Lando, we were wrong by 1.2 seconds. The team made the right decision, the hard tyre was strong for everybody. We achieved the maximum result.”
On turn 1 incident: “I thought a penalty was deserved, Oscar was clearly up the inside - you need to use the racetrack. Whether a penalty or give the position back, either way. It was definitely appropriate, you’ve got to concede.”
Time for the podium!
Sunday 20 April 2025 20:23 , Kieran JacksonFor the third race out of five then, it’s the Australian and British national anthems on the podium!
Piastri is the first Australian in the lead of the world championship since Mark Webber in 2010!
Oscar Piastri, speaking after his victory:
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:59“I’m looking for a couch, it was a pretty tough race – very happy to have won. I made my case into turn 1, that was enough – it was really tricky to follow.
“The clean air was nice after the pit-stops. We still need a bit more, Max was a bit too close for our liking, but a great race and great weekend.
“Once I got on the inside, I wasn’t coming out of turn 1 in second. The stewards had to get involved and in the end, that’s what won me the race.”
Max Verstappen, after finishing P2:
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:38 , Kieran Jackson“I’m going to keep it quite short, want to say thank you to the fans here in Jeddah, the rest is what it is, I’m looking forward to Miami so see you there.”
He was NOT hanging around for a second question! He’s clearly not happy about that five-second penalty..
"I'm going to keep it quite short."
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 20, 2025
Max Verstappen reacts to P2 💬 pic.twitter.com/ZGVQCKYoeU
TOP-10 IN SAUDI ARABIAN GP
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:34 , Kieran Jackson1. 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
Oscar Piastri on team radio:
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:36 , Kieran Jackson“Woohoo! Well done everyone!
“A little bit more difficult at the start than I thought, but very well done. Car was great! I’m glad we’ve got dirty air from lapping people!
“Great three weeks, let’s keep it going.”
Piastri now has a 10-point lead on Norris at the top of the world championship!
Oscar Piastri wins the Saudi Arabian GP!
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:25 , Kieran JacksonThe Australian wins his third race of the season and claims victory in Jeddah! And he takes the lead of the world championship!
Max Verstappen comes home in second, with Charles Leclerc in third!
4-10: Norris, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Sainz, Albon, Hadjar
Final lap!
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:24 , Kieran JacksonOne more lap for Oscar Piastri for the win - and the championship lead!
Norris still trails Leclerc by 1.3 seconds... the Ferrari should have enough here!
Lando Norris chasing down Charles Leclerc (Lap 48/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:22 , Kieran JacksonNorris is lapping quick now on fresher tyres, and is just 1.5 seconds behind Leclerc.
Can the Brit squeeze onto the podium in the closing laps here?
Russell meanwhile, in fifth, is concerned about his front-left tyre. Let’s hope he can make it to the end...
Oscar Piastri on team radio:
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:19 , Kieran Jackson“Ah man, he needs to get out of the way.”
He’s annoyed at backmarkers such as Stroll and Bortoleto, who are holding the McLaren up!
Lando Norris cleared (Lap 44/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:17Replays show it was tight - but Norris get away with it!
At the front, Piastri’s lead to Verstappen is comfortable at 3.8 seconds, with Leclerc a further 5.3 seconds down the road.
4-10: Norris, Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Sainz, Albon, Hadjar
Lando Norris under investigation (Lap 40/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:10 , Kieran JacksonNorris will be investigated after the session for crossing the white-line on pit-exit... it was close!
Not ideal for Norris, who now is up to fourth ahead of George Russell!
Charles Leclerc passes George Russell (Lap 38/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:07 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc is up to third!
The Ferrari has superior speed to the Mercedes and Leclerc gets it done down the main straight with DRS!
Leclerc’s engineer: “Well done Charles.”
Leclerc: “Thank you Bryan!”
Lando Norris pits! (Lap 35/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:02 , Kieran JacksonNorris pits - 2.6 seconds - and comes out in fifth!
He’s on the mediums and trails Leclerc in fourth by five seconds!
Piastri now takes the lead!
Oscar Piastri on team radio:
Sunday 20 April 2025 19:00 , Kieran Jackson“I think I’m starting to feel the dirty air a little bit, so it’s not ideal for me at the moment.”
Piastri is 2.3 seconds behind Norris, with Verstappen trailing the Aussie by 4.8 seconds.
4-10: Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, Hadjar, Hamilton, Sainz, Albon
Charles Leclerc pits! (Lap 29/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:56Leclerc pits from the lead - a rapid 2.0 second stop from Ferrari - and is back out in fifth!
Lando Norris (on hard tyres) now takes the lead, but still needs to pit!
The gap to his teammate Piastri is three seconds..
Lewis Hamilton pits! (Lap 24/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:45 , Kieran JacksonWith Verstappen bang on his tail, Ferrari pit Hamilton - the Brit comes out in eighth!
Verstappen now chases Piastri ahead - the gap is four seconds!
Top-10: Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Hadjar, Antonelli, Hamilton, Stroll, Hulkenberg
Max Verstappen pits (Lap 22/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:43Excruciating wait for Verstappen in the pits, as he serves his five seconds, and he comes out BEHIND Piastri and Hamilton!
Charles Leclerc now in the lead of this race, with Lando Norris in second - neither have pitted though!
Piastri passes Hamilton! (Lap 22/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:41 , Kieran JacksonPiastri with a stunning move at turn 22 on Hamilton to pass him for P5!
Verstappen is coming in to the pits...
George Russell pits! (Lap 21/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:40 , Kieran JacksonRussell pits and comes out in seventh, behind Piastri and Sainz!
When will Verstappen pit, then? He’s aggressively being told to push.
“Everything you have Max.”
Oscar Piastri pits! (Lap 20/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:38 , Kieran JacksonPiastri’s pit-stop is not rapid, only 3.4 seconds, as McLaren pit their leading man!
Piastri comes back out in sixth, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
Russell up to P2, with Leclerc P3.
Verstappen’s lead to Russell is 9.2 secs.
Max Verstappen extending his lead (Lap 19/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:37 , Kieran JacksonRunning in clean air at the front, Verstappen is extending his lead - it’s now 2.9 seconds!
Further back, Lando Norris has overtaken Kimi Antonelli on the main straight for fifth place!
TOP-10 AFTER 18 LAPS
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:35 , Kieran Jackson1. Verstappen
2. Piastri
3. Russell
4. Leclerc
5. Antonelli
6. Norris
7. Hamilton
8. Sainz
9. Albon
10. Hadjar
Lewis Hamilton on team radio:
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:32 , Kieran Jackson“I’m just sliding around out here mate, I can’t turn rears.”
Lando Norris gets the move done this time! (Lap 15/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:31This time, Norris bides his time and takes sixth place from Hamilton with an overtake on the home straight!
Antonelli up next for the McLaren driver....
In front, Verstappen’s lead is 1.3 seconds to Piastri.
Repeat for Hamilton-Norris! (Lap 14/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:29 , Kieran JacksonCarbon copy from the previous lap, as Norris takes sixth at the final turn but Hamilton takes it back at the end of the main straight!
Lovely duel this!
Norris and Hamilton swap positions! (Lap 13/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:27 , Kieran JacksonNorris passes Hamilton at the final corner, but the Ferrari driver has DRS on the main straight and retakes the position!
Great racingQ
Lando Norris on team radio:
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:26 , Kieran Jackson“Tyres are hot, yeah - clean air would be incredible.”
Norris within DRS to Lewis Hamilton ahead of him in sixth...
WATCH: Verstappen and Piastri clash
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:24 , Kieran JacksonLIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO! 🚦
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) April 20, 2025
Verstappen runs off track but keeps the lead, while a safety car is deployed after a crash between Tsunoda and Gasly! pic.twitter.com/PmktlXg3s8
Verstappen's lead still one-second (Lap 10/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:23They’re clocking the laps up quickly here!
Verstappen still has just over a one-second lead, with Russell now 2.7 seconds off Piastri.
4-10: Leclerc, Antonelli, Hamilton, Norris, Sainz, Albon, Hadjar
When will the pit-stops start??
Lando Norris passes Carlos Sainz (Lap 7/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:18Norris moves up to seventh with superior speed on the main straight!
Piastri, meanwhile, is 1.1 seconds behind Verstappen - so no DRS for the McLaren at the moment!
Verstappen will have to serve that five-second penalty at his first pit-stop, incidentally...
Max Verstappen when told of five-second penalty:
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:15 , Kieran Jackson“Well, that is f***ing lovely.”
GP: “No comment.”
Max Verstappen has a five-second penalty! (Lap 4/50)
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:13 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen has been punished - it’s a five-second penalty!
Bit odd - why did the stewards not just say to give first place to Piastri?!
Anyhow, he keeps the lead at the safety car restart, with Piastri holding off Russell.
4-10: Leclerc, Antonelli, Hamilton, Sainz, Norris, Albon, Alonso
Piastri:
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:11 , Kieran Jackson“He was never going to make that corner regardless of whether I was there or not.”
Max Verstappen on team radio:
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:11 , Kieran Jackson“Ah, he just forced me off. There was no intention of him to make that corner.”
The stewards are looking at it!
Safety car in this lap...
Yuki Tsunoda retires!
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:08 , Kieran JacksonTsunoda has gone into the pits but the Red Bull mechanics are not satisfied with the car!
The Japanese driver will have to retire!
SAFETY CAR!
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:07Tsunoda has actually managed to carry on here!
Gasly’s car, however, is smashed up and in the wall!
Piastri: “He needs to give that back, I’m ahead.”
Lights out!
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:05Piastri and Verstappen are neck-and-neck heading into turn 1 - Piastri makes the turn, Verstappen does not!
Will he have to give first place back, Max?!
Further back, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda crash violently into the wall!
SAFETY CAR!
Formation lap!
Sunday 20 April 2025 18:01 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen leads the 20-car pack around then for the formation lap in Jeddah!
Lando Norris, starting in 10th, is on the hard tyre. Everyone else is on the mediums in the top-10.
Who will lead coming out of turn 2 here?!
A reminder of the starting grid in Jeddah:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
6. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
11. Alex Albon (Williams)
12. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
14. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
17. Jack Doohan (Alpine)
18. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
19. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
20. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
Lando Norris, who starts P10:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:54 , Kieran Jackson“We have a good car, I still feel good, little bit sore, but optimistic we can have a good result.
“It’s a long race, just be on our toes and go for a good result.”
Fernando Alonso, who starts 13th:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:51 , Kieran Jackson“It’s going to be tough, but we fight – the walls are very close.”
Max Verstappen, who starts on pole:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:50 , Kieran Jackson“It’s a bit warmer than yesterday, it will be a battle whatever temperature. I hope our pace is a bit better on the medium than what it was in practice.
“Just find a bit more consistency. On the hard tyre? I don’t know.”
Alex Albon, who starts P11:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:48 , Kieran Jackson“Honestly, Yuki and Lewis are in our race. We’re trying to beat Alpine, we can still race those top teams.
“Track temps are hot, engine and tyre cooling will be important. Spending too many laps behind cars and you’ll overheat.”
McLaren boss Zak Brown, speaking on the grid:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:42 , Kieran Jackson“Oscar will definitely take it to Max, it’s a long race. Coming out P2 in turn one is not a bad thing, we’ve got a good race car underneath.”
On Norris starting in P10: “Podium is not out of reach.”
Oscar Piastri, who starts P2:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:36 , Kieran Jackson“The best place would be turn 1 but it’s a short run, we’ll see, our car will be quick, we’ll have opportunities later in the race too.
“I think the Red Bull and Max look quick, tyre deg seems to be one of our strengths at the moment, I think they found a lot from Friday to Saturday - I’m not expecting them to be slow but hopefully we’ve got the edge.”
Half-an-hour until lights out in Jeddah!
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:30 , Kieran JacksonAll the drivers just finishing their reconissance laps out in the Jeddah Corniche Circuit ahead of the fifth race of the 2025 season!
Among the stars on the grid today are Usher, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino!
PHOTOS: Drivers paraded ahead of lights out!
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:24 , Kieran Jackson
Charles Leclerc on the first four races of the season:
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:17 , Kieran Jackson“It’s not the start of the season we dreamed of,” Leclerc tells Sky F1.
“We’re missing grip in low and medium speed. I would’ve expected us to be stronger here than the first part of the season. Lewis has been giving his view on certain situations, we have different approaches, but that’s the same for everyone in the paddock.”
“I think the podium in Bahrain was definitely possible. [This week], I like street tracks in general, maybe one of my favourite tracks of the season.”
Lewis Hamilton is finding his Ferrari F1 car ‘very difficult’ after Saudi GP qualifying
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:08 , Kieran Jackson“It was challenging as always, qualifying for me,” Hamilton reflected afterwards. The 40-year-old has not qualified in the top three so far in 2025, aside from his sprint race win in China.
“I’ve been nowhere all weekend, 13th in almost every session.
“I feel grateful to have got to Q3. P7, not a spectacular last lap, we make improvements all weekend, needed a better lap at the end there.
“It’s been trying to find the time and bond with this car on a single lap, it’s something I’m finding very difficult at the moment.”
F1 driver standings after four races
Sunday 20 April 2025 17:00 , Kieran Jackson4. George Russell – 63 points
5. Charles Leclerc – 35 points
6. Kimi Antonelli – 30 points
8. Alex Albon – 18 points
9. Esteban Ocon – 14 points
10. Lance Stroll – 10 points
11. Pierre Gasly – 6 points
12. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
13. Ollie Bearman – 6 points
14. Isack Hadjar – 4 points
16. Carlos Sainz – 1 point
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Jack Doohan – 0 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
20. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
George Russell, ahead of the Saudi GP:
Sunday 20 April 2025 16:51 , Kieran Jackson“I feel like since last year, I’ve been performing at a good level.
“We have to fight for the podium at a minimum, all the action will happen around the pit-stops. We don’t know if it will be a two-stop, between lap 10 and 20 we will see the most action.”
Lando Norris after his crash on Saturday:
Sunday 20 April 2025 16:40 , Kieran JacksonOn the race: “What am I thinking? I’ve not put my mind to tomorrow yet.
“Disappointed with today, I’ll go and see my engineers and we’ll look ahead to what we can do tomorrow. We know the car is good and quick.
On resetting: “I go and see my engineers, apologise, and see what we can do. Going to need some luck, nearly impossible to overtake here. If we can work our way to the top-six, we’ll be happy.
“I think to get close to the top-three is not very realistic, but top-five is our target.”
Norris starts P10 this evening.
A reminder of the starting grid in Jeddah:
Sunday 20 April 2025 16:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
6. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
11. Alex Albon (Williams)
12. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
14. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
17. Jack Doohan (Alpine)
18. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
19. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
20. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
Lewis Hamilton in F1 fashion rebuke: ‘Black men have always had to be more excellent’
Sunday 20 April 2025 16:22 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton has spoken in depth about his deep-rooted connection with fashion within Formula 1, commenting: “Black men have always had to be more excellent than our white counterparts.”
Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton, 40, will co-host next month’s Met Gala in New York, having first attended the fashion event in 2015. The Briton also hosted a table for young black designers at the 2021 Met Gala.
Hamilton has, in recent years, attracted attention upon arriving in the F1 paddock with his own choice of bold attire, bucking the trend of drivers arriving in team-branded gear. Now, the sport’s only black driver has described how the stale world of mid-2000s F1 reacted to his initial clothing choices.
Full story below:
Lewis Hamilton in F1 fashion rebuke: ‘Black men have always had to be more excellent’
Martin Brundle on Norris' self-critical mentality:
Sunday 20 April 2025 16:11 , Kieran Jackson“Lando comes out with many emotive words, he beats up on himself, that’s his way.
“They feed his rivals.”
Kimi Antonelli after qualifying P5:
Sunday 20 April 2025 15:55“A bit disappointed to be honest, made a mistake in turn 1 and lost three-tenths, but overall a decent performance. We've had a good start to the season, so far it's been good.
“Now looking forward to seeing what we can do tomorrow.”
PREVIEW: How Saudi Arabia has sights set on F1 summit with $480m ‘Rainbow Road’ Qiddiya track
Sunday 20 April 2025 15:42 , Kieran JacksonInitial glances at the future of Formula One in Saudi Arabia look like something out of another galaxy.
In fact, fans online have likened the renderings of Qiddiya Speed Park, due for completion in 2027 at a cost of $480m (£360m), to Rainbow Road in the video game Mario Kart. And with a 70m incline at turn one, nicknamed “The Blade”, it’s not actually as outlandish a comparison as it might seem.
How Saudi Arabia has sights set on F1 summit with ‘Rainbow Road’ Qiddiya track
Sebastian Vettel on Lando Norris's mentality:
Sunday 20 April 2025 15:40 , Kieran JacksonSebastian Vettel's view on the new generation ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PNhUSG8Sqr
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 18, 2025
Max Verstappen after claiming pole position:
Sunday 20 April 2025 15:30 , Kieran JacksonI'm very happy, definitely didn't expect to be on pole here after FP3. We made some final changes, it was a lot more enjoyable to drive, the grip was coming to me, a qualifying lap is extremely difficult, it's really satisfying - the best position tomorrow, it will be tough to keep them behind.
“We'll do our best, I'm just very happy with a solid qualifying, much better than Bahrain of course, and let's see what we can do in the race."
Alonso's reaction to prospect of Verstappen at Aston Martin:
Sunday 20 April 2025 15:10 , Kieran JacksonWould Fernando Alonso welcome Max Verstappen as his Aston Martin team-mate next season? 👀 pic.twitter.com/4WGX1ijBCp
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 17, 2025
George Russell after qualifying P3:
Sunday 20 April 2025 14:59 , Kieran Jackson“Nobody has touched the hard tyres this weekend, nobody knows if it’s a one or two-stop. The medium tyre didn’t look very good, a lot of degradation. If Oscar gets in the lead, I think he’ll go off.
“I want to keep consistent, keep getting points and podiums. If there’s a chance to do a bold undercut or go long, we’ll take it.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner, speaking to Sky Sports F1:
Sunday 20 April 2025 14:53 , Kieran JacksonOn Verstappen’s future: “Noise is exactly the word to describe it, a lot of noise outside the team.
“Max reaffirmed his commitment yesterday. The rest is all speculation and hearsay.”
When is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
Sunday 20 April 2025 14:40 , Kieran JacksonTime BST
Sunday 20 April
- Race: 6pm
Lando Norris crashes out of Saudi Arabia GP qualifying as Max Verstappen takes pole
Sunday 20 April 2025 14:33 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris crashed out of F1 qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen claimed a brilliant pole position.
The championship leader branded himself a “f*****g idiot” on the radio after hitting the kerbs at turns four and five and crashing into the wall during his first run in Q3.
His session was over and Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and George Russell were left to slug it out for pole, with the Dutchman banishing pre-race talk over his future with another scintillating qualifying performance.
Full report below:
Lando Norris crashes out of Saudi Arabia GP qualifying as Max Verstappen takes pole
F1 constructor standings after four races:
Sunday 20 April 2025 14:30 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 151 points
2. Mercedes - 93 points
3. Red Bull - 71 points
4. Ferrari - 57 points
5. Haas - 20 points
6. Williams - 19 points
7. Aston Martin - 10 points
8. Racing Bulls - 7 points
9. Alpine - 6 points
10. Sauber - 6 points
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff:
Sunday 20 April 2025 14:19 , Kieran JacksonOn McLaren being at the top: “Things can swing, you are talking about a few tenths, you can catch them.”
On Russell: “He’s going a top job. He’s such a stoic person, people talked about Lewis and Max, now you can see how he’s delivering. He’s performing in that car to the maximum. He’s getting better, better and better.”
On Antonelli: “It’s important to tackle it actively, he’s learning. I don’t want him to take any risks in the high speed.”
On potential of signing Verstappen: “I wouldn't say that, I don't flirt if I'm happy in the relationship in a professional way. I am super happy with the line-up we have, Max is at Red Bull, we haven't had a conversation."
Lewis Hamilton admits he’s finding Ferrari F1 car ‘very difficult’ after another poor qualifying
Sunday 20 April 2025 14:00 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton admits he’s finding it “very difficult” to bond with the Ferrari F1 car after another difficult qualifying session in Saudi Arabia.
Hamilton has been short of speed all weekend at the high-speed Jeddah street circuit and only narrowly managed to make the top-10 shootout in qualifying.
“It was challenging as always, qualifying for me,” Hamilton reflected afterwards. The 40-year-old has not qualified in the top three so far in 2025, aside from his sprint race win in China.
Full quotes below:
Hamilton finding Ferrari F1 car ‘very difficult’ after another poor qualifying
WATCH: Lando Norris reacts after crash in qualifying
Sunday 20 April 2025 13:02 , Kieran Jackson"Just disappointed."
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 19, 2025
Lando Norris after his crash in qualifying 😕 pic.twitter.com/qX9ggj4IAC
FULL STARTING GRID:
Sunday 20 April 2025 13:01 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Oscar Piastri
3. George Russell
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Kimi Antonelli
6. Carlos Sainz
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Yuki Tsunoda
9. Pierre Gasly
10. Lando Norris
11. Alex Albon
12. Liam Lawson
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Isack Hadjar
15. Ollie Bearman
16. Lance Stroll
17. Jack Doohan
18. Nico Hulkenberg
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Gabriel Bortoleto
Aston Martin ‘set to offer £226m for reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen’
Sunday 20 April 2025 12:02 , Kieran JacksonAston Martin are reportedly set to offer Max Verstappen £226m over three years in an attempt to persuade the Red Bull driver to switch teams next year.
Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen, who has a contract worth £50m-a-year at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, is being heavily linked with Aston and Mercedes given Red Bull’s recent downturn in form and new regulations being enforced in 2026.
Aston have also recently recruited former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, who is fully focused on next year’s car. Newey designed all four of Verstappen’s championship-winning cars at Red Bull.
Full story below:
Aston Martin ‘set to offer £226m for reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen’
George Russell on prospect of Mercedes signing Max Verstappen:
Sunday 20 April 2025 10:01 , Kieran Jackson“Why wouldn’t they want to sign Max? It’s totally understandable,” Russell said.
“He’s the best at the moment. He’s a four-time world champion. That’s not anything against me or Kimi. There’s two drivers for every team and he is one person.
“So that doesn’t concern me one bit because the performance is my currency and right now I think I am performing as good as anyone on this grid.”
Max Verstappen responds to Red Bull F1 exit speculation: ‘A lot of people are talking’
Sunday 20 April 2025 08:04 , Kieran JacksonRed Bull adviser Helmut Marko poured fuel on the fire when he stated post-Bahrain that the team has “great concern” over Verstappen’s future, given their current struggles.
“I don’t know, to be honest,” Verstappen said, in Thursday’s press conference at the Saudi Arabian GP, when asked why Marko made those comments.
“I just keep working, trying to improve the car. Naturally, Bahrain was not a great weekend for us. I think we were all pretty disappointed with that.
“We keep trying to come up with new ideas to try on the car, the competition is tough, that’s how i go about my weeks. Just trying to improve my situation.
Charles Leclerc on Ferrari development:
Sunday 20 April 2025 07:02 , Kieran Jackson“Considering the characteristics of this track, we should make a small step forward compared to what we did in Bahrain,” Leclerc said.
“The numbers we hoped to see on the Sakhir circuit from this update are what we then saw. Here, we expect something more.
“We are three tenths away from McLaren, our performance is similar to that of Mercedes while Red Bull has been a bit more inconsistent so far, and this makes it more difficult to have a clear picture of their potential.”
Lando Norris planning to try new things to get ‘comfortable’ with his McLaren
Sunday 20 April 2025 04:01 , Kieran Jackson“It is a weekend where I want to perform, I want to do well,” Norris said.
“But it is early enough in the season where, if I can work on some things and improve in some areas, that will pay off in the longer run.
“We have come into the weekend with a different approach, with a different mindset, different things to try.
“I needed a couple of days off, a reset. Probably would have liked a few more days but I made the most of my three days relaxing, getting away from it a little bit.”
Charles Leclerc on P4 in qualifying:
Sunday 20 April 2025 01:02 , Kieran Jackson“I’m far from pleased, and very disappointed overall. When you do everything you can with the car overall, it’s P4, it’s very frustrating. At the end of the day, we don’t have enough grip to carry the speed they’re carrying.
“We expected more from a track like this.
“I don’t expect miracles. A miracle can only be a win. The podium I think is possible, it will rely a lot on the start.”
Ollie Bearman after qualifying P15:
Saturday 19 April 2025 23:59 , Kieran Jackson“I honestly don’t think we had Q3 in us today. I was happy to get through Q1, it was a good lap I thought.
“It was a bit more difficult in Q2; I felt really good on the used tyre but then jumping onto the new set, it’s really difficult to get them into the correct window and unfortunately that was the case today – I didn’t improve on my new tyres.
“We’ve been decent on race trim this season though, so hopefully I have the pace delta I had last year and have a good race.”
FULL STARTING GRID:
Saturday 19 April 2025 21:28 , Kieran Jackson1. Max Verstappen
2. Oscar Piastri
3. George Russell
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Kimi Antonelli
6. Carlos Sainz
7. Lewis Hamilton
8. Yuki Tsunoda
9. Pierre Gasly
10. Lando Norris
11. Alex Albon
12. Liam Lawson
13. Fernando Alonso
14. Isack Hadjar
15. Ollie Bearman
16. Lance Stroll
17. Jack Doohan
18. Nico Hulkenberg
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Gabriel Bortoleto
McLaren boss Zak Brown:
Saturday 19 April 2025 20:43 , Kieran JacksonOn Norris’s crash: “He said he was fine. Car is a little bruised, we’ll get this fixed and pick him up tomorrow.
“We’ll just focus on the race, maybe a one-stop, high chance of a safety car. He’ll certainly be quicker than he qualified.”
On the race: “Race pace is good, front row, he has a good chance, looking forward to a good duel tomorrow.”
Lewis Hamilton after qualifying P7:
Saturday 19 April 2025 20:30 , Kieran Jackson“It was challenging as always, qualifying for me. I’ve been nowhere all weekend, 13th in almost every session.
“I feel grateful to have got to Q3. P7, not a spectacular last lap, we make improvements all weekend, needed a better lap at the end there.”
On his hopes to move up in the race: “Praying more like! It’s been trying to find the time and bond with this car on a single lap, it’s something I’m finding very difficult at the moment.
“But when there’s a will, there’s a way, we won’t give up, we’ll keep working hard.”
When is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
Saturday 19 April 2025 20:22 , Kieran JacksonTime BST
Sunday 20 April
- Race: 6pm
Red Bull boss Christian Horner:
Saturday 19 April 2025 20:12 , Kieran Jackson“If you can convert from pole, you can run in clean air - no turbulence. But the McLaren is very quick, particularly in race-trim. We’ll have a hell of a fight on to keep Oscar behind us.
“Honestly, I did not believe it was possible going into that session - we never give up.”
WATCH: A closer look at Norris's crash
Saturday 19 April 2025 19:59 , Kieran JacksonWhat happened to Norris? 🔍 pic.twitter.com/t0uOGKabB5
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 19, 2025
Oscar Piastri after qualifying P2:
Saturday 19 April 2025 19:46 , Kieran Jackson“I was pretty happy with it, not too much left in that lap. That was the best I could have done, Max has done a good job, another high-speed circuit where they seem to be having a bit more success. Still all to play for tomorrow, it will be a tough race.
“It’s tough around here, when you fall out of rhythm, it’s hard to get back in it! It’s a difficult track for sure, at night with soft tyres and high grip, it’s one of the best tracks we go to. A lot of adrenaline!”
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website
