BREAKING: Oscar Piastri DISAGREES with Norris Over Red Bull A…read more
BREAKING: Oscar Piastri DISAGREES with Norris Over Red Bull A…read more
Oscar Piastri has countered McLaren teammate Lando Norris’ claim that Red Bull had the fastest car during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, after securing his third win of the 2025 season and moving to the top of the drivers’ standings for the first time in his Formula 1 career.
While Piastri enjoyed a flawless race weekend, Norris faced challenges after a crash in Q3 left him starting from 10th on the grid. He managed to recover to fourth place but expressed frustration post-race, suggesting the media exaggerated McLaren’s pace advantage and insisting Max Verstappen likely would’ve won without his penalty.
“They’re as quick as us,” Norris told Sky Sports. “People overhype things when we’re strong in practice. I think Max had the fastest car today if not for the five-second penalty.”
However, Piastri had a different view when asked about the comments during the FIA press conference. “No, I still believe our car was quicker,” he said. “Max was faster than I expected in the race, particularly at the end of the medium stint, but I still think we had the advantage overall.”
He acknowledged that the nature of the Jeddah circuit allowed Red Bull to close the gap, similar to what was seen at Suzuka, but maintained McLaren had a strong package. “The layout here plays more to their strengths, but our car is still performing really well.”
Piastri on Taking the Championship Lead
With his win, Piastri becomes the first Australian since Mark Webber in 2010 to lead the F1 championship. However, the young driver says he isn’t getting carried away by his early-season success.
“It’s not the fact that I’m leading that excites me most,” he explained. “It’s the effort behind it the team’s work, the off-season prep, and my own progress. That’s what I take pride in.”
Looking ahead, Piastri remains focused on the bigger picture. “I want to be leading after the final race, not just after five rounds. So while this is a great start, there’s still a lot of racing to do.”
