The China Mail - Piastri power rules in Saudi as Max pays the penalty

Charles Leclerc's Ferrari completed the podium for this fifth round of the season under the floodlights at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Piastri's third win this year was in large part decided at the first turn, when Verstappen picked up a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage after going off the track.

He becomes the first Australian to lead the drivers' standings since his agent, Mark Webber, 15 years ago.

"Very happy to have won, made the difference at the start. Great race.

"Max was still a bit too close for my liking!" Piastri said, after crossing the line 2.843 seconds clear of the four-time world champion.

"It is what it is," said Verstappen, not wanting to discuss his penalty.

Piastri's McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who went into the weekend leading the standings, took fourth ahead of the two Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

As the sun dipped and the tension rose, the lights went out at the world's fastest street circuit, a strip of asphalt hugging a lagoon on the Red Sea coastline.

Piastri got off to a flyer and was upsides Verstappen at the first corner but the Dutchman cut the chicane prompting Piastri to tell his team: "He needs to give that back, I was ahead."

"He just forced me off," was Verstappen's verdict.

Behind, Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly's Alpine tangled, bringing out the safety car and taking them both out of the race.

Racing resumed on lap three with news that Verstappen had been slapped with a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

- 'That is lovely' -

On being told of his sanction the Dutchman responded with an expletive, adding: "That is lovely".

He led Piastri on the restart, with Russell racing third and Leclerc fourth.

Norris was up to eighth after starting way back on the fifth row - his car as good as new after all the 'TLC' showered on it last night by McLaren mechanics following Saturday's major bust-up with a wall in qualifying.

Given his start handicap, the Briton took a gamble as the only one of the top 10 to start on hard tyres, rather than mediums.

Piastri was content to bide his time behind Verstappen, around a second back, safe in the knowledge that the lead was effectively his once Verstappen took his penalty.

"My tyres are toast," Russell reported, with pit stops approaching.

On lap 20 with Norris up to fifth Piastri was the first of the leaders to come in to fit fresh rubber on his car.

Red Bull were gambling, urging Verstappen to give everything he could to stretch his lead before his stop.

The four-time champion came in on lap 22 to serve his penalty.

Up front Leclerc and Norris, both yet to pit, led from Piastri, with Verstappen fourth.

Leclerc finally came in on lap 30, Norris following suit a couple of laps later to leave his teammate in firm control of the race, over four seconds clear of Verstappen.

Piastri held on to move on to 99 points in the race for the 2025 world title, 10 clear of Norris, with Verstappen a further two points back.

After this final leg of a frantic, not to say draining, triple-header, F1 takes a breather before its well-oiled circus pitches up again in Miami in a fortnight's time.

P.Ho--ThChM