F1 2025 Standings: Sainz overtakes Red Bull star as NEW championship leader crowned

A stunning drive from Williams' Carlos Sainz saw him rise above Yuki Tsunoda in the Formula 1 drivers' championship, as Oscar Piastri took over the lead from team-mate Lando Norris.

Piastri drove brilliantly to stave off Max Verstappen, after the Dutchman was handed a controversial five-second penalty on the first lap at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and managed to claim his third victory of the 2025 season.

His McLaren team-mate Norris recovered well from a qualifying crash to finish fourth, but it was not enough for him to maintain his slim championship lead, with Piastri now atop the standings for the first time in his career, with a 10-point advantage over Norris.

The British driver came close to scoring a podium at the end of the race, but Charles Leclerc managed to keep him behind to secure Ferrari's first grand prix podium of the season.

Sainz, meanwhile, finished above team-mate Alex Albon in an eighth-place finish, now moving onto five points in the standings, above Red Bull's Tsunoda who suffered a lap one crash in Jeddah.

In the constructors' championship, McLaren further extended their lead over Mercedes in second, while not even Verstappen's handy second-place finish was enough to lift Red Bull out of their lowly third position.

Williams' double points finish from Sainz and Albon saw them rise above Haas and into fifth in the constructors' championship.

F1 drivers' standings after 2025 Saudi Grand Prix

1. Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 99 points
2. Lando Norris | McLaren | 89
3. Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 87
4. George Russell | Mercedes | 73
5. Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 47
6. Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 38
7. Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 31
8. Alex Albon | Williams | 20
9. Esteban Ocon | Haas | 14
10. Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 10
11. Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 6
12. Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 6
13. Oliver Bearman | Haas | 6
14. Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 5
15. Carlos Sainz | Williams | 5
16. Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 5
17. Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 0
18. Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 0
19. Jack Doohan | Alpine | 0
20. Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 0

F1 constructors' standings after 2025 Saudi Grand Prix

1. McLaren | 188 points
2. Mercedes | 111
3. Red Bull | 89
4. Ferrari | 78
5. Williams | 25
6. Haas | 20
7. Aston Martin | 10
8. Racing Bulls | 8
9. Alpine | 6
10. Sauber | 6

2025 rule change removes fastest lap point

The fastest lap point has been removed for the 2025 season. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.

However, in the past, this led to some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a new set of tyres in the final stages of the race in order to claim the fastest lap point or prevent a rival from getting the extra point, playing the tactical long game in the championship standings.

The most famous example of this last season came during Daniel Ricciardo's final F1 race, when the Australian finished last but claimed the fastest lap on the final lap of the Singapore GP, taking the extra point away from Norris and helping Verstappen's title bid.

F1 HEADLINES: FIA make LATE CHANGE to Saudi GP order as special clause revealed

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Lando Norris' genius plan could spark F1 2026 title charge

• Yesterday 19:55

Gianpiero Lambiase reveals 'intimidating' Max Verstappen meeting

• Yesterday 10:57

Red Bull taking Max Verstappen F1 exit threat 'very seriously' as replacement emerges

• May 18, 2026 12:57

Max Verstappen's team-mate reveals F1 champion wanted to 'fight with everyone' at Nurburgring 24 Hours

• Yesterday 21:56

Max Verstappen to Ferrari: 'He couldn't handle it'

• May 18, 2026 10:56

Christian Horner comments fuel Oscar Piastri F1 signing rumours

• May 17, 2026 21:56