Winner: Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri was the clear winner from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the whole triple header. He took his third win of the season and, for the first time in his career, moved into the lead of the world championship. Even though his teammate Lando Norris showed good speed and Max Verstappen took pole position, it was Piastri who came out on top when it really mattered.

At the start of the race, Piastri showed how smart and brave he can be. He fought hard with Verstappen into the first corner and stayed ahead, which helped Verstappen pick up a penalty. After that, the Australian kept his focus, managed his tyres well, and stayed in control for the rest of the race.

This win was not as easy as his victories in China or Bahrain. The conditions in Jeddah made things more difficult for McLaren, and the team could not use its usual tyre advantage. Still, Piastri stayed calm, made no mistakes, and handled the pressure perfectly.

Loser: Lewis Hamilton

It was a weekend to forget for Lewis Hamilton in Saudi Arabia, as his tough start to life at Ferrari continued. He finished the race in seventh place, exactly where he qualified, and a full 31 seconds behind his teammate Charles Leclerc. That kind of gap is hard to ignore, especially when it clearly reflects the pace difference we saw all weekend.

Hamilton described the race as “horrible” and admitted he had no idea why he was so far off the pace. His frustration was clear, and it seems like he is still struggling to understand the new Ferrari car. While Leclerc was able to fight at the front and show what the car could do, Hamilton looked lost and off the pace in both qualifying and the race.

Since the ground-effect rules came in, Jeddah has not been a strong track for Hamilton, but the big hope was that his move to Ferrari would bring new energy and results. So far, apart from a strong performance in China, that has not happened. In fact, Saudi Arabia might have been the lowest point yet, with Hamilton looking more confused and downbeat than ever before.

Winner: Charles Leclerc

In contrast to Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc had a standout weekend in Saudi Arabia and proved once again why he’s Ferrari’s leading light. While Hamilton struggled with the SF-25 and finished well off the pace, Leclerc managed to extract everything possible from the same machinery and turned it into Ferrari’s first podium of the season with a brilliant drive to third place.

Leclerc has made no secret of his frustration with the car’s limitations, especially in qualifying where he continues to fall short of the front row. But come race day, he once again rose to the occasion. After getting stuck behind George Russell early on, he played the long game with an extended stint on medium tyres, built an advantage, and then pulled off a clean pass before pulling away.

At times, Leclerc was the fastest man on track, and he crossed the line just eight seconds behind the race winner. His drive was a reminder that, even with a car that demands very specific conditions to perform well, Leclerc can still deliver top results. He completely outperformed Hamilton all weekend and continues to carry the team through what has otherwise been a disappointing start to 2025.

While Ferrari still has plenty of work to do, especially in qualifying and adapting to different track conditions, Leclerc is showing that the car’s potential is real, at least in his hands.

Loser: Mercedes

Mercedes came into the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with real promise after George Russell qualified an impressive third, narrowly missing out on pole. Hopes were high that he could challenge the front runners, but come Sunday, all that pace disappeared. Instead of battling for the podium, Russell faded through the race and ended up a distant fifth, struggling with tyre wear and unable to keep up with Leclerc or Norris.

The disappointment didn’t stop there. Rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli had a quiet race, finishing sixth, but never looked like threatening the top five. For a team that started the weekend with so much potential, it ended up being a frustrating and anonymous outing. Both drivers reported issues with tyre performance, and the car simply lacked the speed needed to stay in the fight.

Even though Mercedes still sits second in the constructors’ standings and scored decent points, the overall performance fell well short of expectations. After such a strong qualifying, the race result felt flat. The fact that Russell finished over 30 seconds off the lead shows just how far off the pace Mercedes really was.

Winner: Williams

Williams came away from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with one of its best results in years, firmly establishing itself as a winner from the weekend. After a strong qualifying performance from Carlos Sainz, who lined up sixth on the grid, the team had reason to hope for a points finish. But to bring both cars home in the top ten, with Sainz eighth and Albon ninth, was a huge success and a big boost in the fight for the midfield.

What made the result even more impressive was the way the team managed it. Williams cleverly used team strategy to hold off quicker rivals in the closing laps. Sainz was asked to keep Alex Albon within DRS range so the pair could defend together against the charging Racing Bulls. It worked perfectly. It wasn’t a flashy or complex tactic, but it relied on trust between the drivers and smart thinking from the pit wall.

For Sainz, this race was a clear step forward. After some early criticism about his adaptation to the Williams car, he delivered a measured and effective drive, showing he’s settling in. He may not feel completely at one with the car just yet, but he made the most of what he had. Albon also deserves credit for making the most of the support from his teammate and holding off a faster car in the final laps.

Loser: Alpine

Alpine arrived in Saudi Arabia hoping to build on recent progress and secure back-to-back points finishes, but the weekend fell apart almost immediately. Pierre Gasly once again delivered in qualifying by putting the car into the top 10, but any chance of a strong result ended on the first lap when he was taken out in a collision with Yuki Tsunoda. With Gasly out and Jack Doohan too far back to challenge, Alpine left Jeddah with nothing to show for their efforts.

That result was especially disappointing because the car clearly has more performance than the current standings reflect. Gasly remains confident Alpine will be fighting in future races, but in a tight midfield battle, these missed chances are costly. While other teams like Williams and Haas are picking up points regularly, Alpine is still playing catch-up.