Charles Leclerc delivered a quietly masterful drive to take his first podium of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, securing third place behind race-winner Oscar Piastri and a penalised Max Verstappen.
The Ferrari driver kept his head as chaos unfolded in the early laps at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Verstappen, starting from pole, made a contentious move into Turn 1, cutting the apex to fend off Piastri. While he briefly held the lead, the stewards handed him a five-second penalty for the move — a sanction that would cost him dearly after his pit stop.
Piastri assumed control of the race once Verstappen served his penalty and team-mate Lando Norris, who had inherited the lead during the pit stop shuffle, boxed for a fresh set of mediums. From there, the McLaren man managed the gap and crossed the line 2.8 seconds clear of Verstappen, becoming the new leader in the Drivers’ Championship and the first Australian to top the table since Mark Webber in 2010.
But behind the front two, it was Leclerc who quietly stole the spotlight for Ferrari. The Monegasque, who had yet to climb the podium this season, delivered a faultless drive in the SF-25. He resisted a late push from Norris, whose recovery from a qualifying crash saw him rise to fourth, but never quite enough to challenge the red car in front.
Leclerc’s consistency through the weekend paid off handsomely. With team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing seventh, Ferrari took home a solid haul of points and a much-needed morale boost as they continue to refine their pace relative to Red Bull and McLaren.
George Russell and teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli finished fifth and sixth for Mercedes, while Carlos Sainz gave Williams their best finish of the year in eighth, holding off Alex Albon in a strong team result for the Grove outfit.
Further back, Fernando Alonso endured another frustrating weekend, finishing just outside the points in 11th, still scoreless in 2025. Liam Lawson took 12th for Racing Bulls despite a time penalty, while the Haas duo of Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon finished 13th and 14th.
There was early drama as Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda collided on the first lap, bringing out the Safety Car and ending both their races prematurely.
While Piastri celebrated his third win of the season and a place at the top of the standings, Leclerc’s return to the rostrum was a quiet but significant statement — Ferrari may not yet be the quickest, but their lead driver hasn’t stopped fighting.
