Five Formula 1 Winners & Losers: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Photo by Thaier Al-Sudani from Getty Images

Five races are done, the first triple header of the season is over, and the picture is starting to take shape on the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Here are the winners & losers from Saudi Arabia.

Losers

5. Pierre Gasly

Gasly has had some really tough luck this year so far, and it piled on after he was taken out on the first lap in an accident.

He’s shown the pace.

He just needs the luck.

4. Yuki Tsunoda

I will never criticize a driver going for a good overtaking move, especially when they aren’t in a dominant car, and that’s what Yuki Tsunoda tried to do on lap one around Pierre Gasly.

But unfortunately they touched, both crashed out of the race, and neither came away with any points.

It was a racing incident, but it was Yuki’s bold move that put them in that position.

High reward, but also high risk.

3. Lewis Hamilton

I’m not going to overreact after 5 races of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

There is still plenty to learn and plenty to see.

However, I’m also not going to ignore that Charles Leclerc is comprehensively beating the 7 time world champion in equal machinery.

I do believe he’ll be fine in the end, but there’s no doubt he’s underperforming right now.

2. Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll broke the record for the most Q1 exits in Formula 1 history this weekend.

That’s not great!

Lance hasn’t always had the best equipment, and has had some really good teammates to go up against, but it hasn’t been good enough from the Canadian driver after 8 years in the sport.

1. Lando Norris

Norris was faster than his teammate all weekend. Pole position and a much needed win was his if he just kept it all together.

Then he crashed in Q3, forcing him to start in 10th, got baited into a battle with Lewis Hamilton not once, but twice, which cost him crucial time and likely a podium, lost his championship lead due to his teammate taking home his 3rd win in 5 races, and then got short and snippy with the media after the fact insinuating that McLaren don’t have the fastest car.

Lando is in a tough spot right now, and this week off couldn’t have come at a better time. He needs a breather to refocus and get back into form.

If he doesn’t, this title could get away from him quickly.

Winners

5. Isack Hadjar

I can not believe how good Isack Hadjar has been this season.

In any other year, he’d be running away with rookie of the year, and still might be more impressive so far this year than Kimi Antonelli all things considered.

He’s been outstanding every weekend.

Nothing else to say.

4. Williams

Double points in Jeddah (Carlos Sainz 8th & Alex Albon 9th) has given Williams their best start in 9 years.

James Vowles has done an excellent job turning this team around, and apparently they’ve already focused on 2026.

Their talented drivers and current pace and performance means they might have enough of a buffer to worry about 2026 fully, while still securing a great 2025 finish.

3. Max Verstappen

I know he had the 5 second penalty that cost him the race (I don’t think he would have won regardless), but Verstappen still put a slow Red Bull car on pole and secured a second place finish.

He is outdriving that car massively, and that’s keeping him very much so in this championship fight.

He’s a legend.

2. Oscar Piastri

Piastri always had pace and skills. What he lacked in his first few years was the ability to put it all together.

He didn’t take care of his tires at first, but he fixed it.

He wasn’t great at qualifying, he’s fixed that too.

His race craft wasn’t that of a Champion.

Sunday showed he fixed that.

After Verstappen was given a 5 second penalty for an illegal overtake to keep the lead, Piastri sat back and kept himself at a distance, maintaining a gap within 5 seconds of Verstappen, but keeping his distance so he could save his tires.

That led to him getting the lead after pit stops, which he never gave back, securing his 3rd win in 5 years.

There’s still a long way to go this season, but Piastri has had a magnificent start to the year, especially after a rough first race in Australia.

1. Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc’s opening stint on medium tires was astounding, and his pace on the hard tires to keep a faster McLaren in Lando Norris behind for his first podium of the year might have been even better.

Leclerc is having another great season, and maybe someday Ferrari will give him a championship caliber car.

Hopefully.