PIASTRI'S PLAY HAS MAX EFFECT

OSCAR PIASTRI didn't just take the championship lead from Lando Norris, he also taught his team-mate a lesson.

- BY DANIEL MOXON

On the streets of Jeddah, he showed how to deal with Max Verstappen on track.

This race was won at turn one when Piastri got the better launch off the line and then was not willing to give an inch more than he needed to.

Verstappen cut the first corner chicane and came back onto the track still ahead, but the stewards were having none of it and he was given a five-second penalty.

That decided the race. Once both had stopped and Verstappen emerged from the pit lane behind the Aussie, there would be no getting the lead back.

"Once I got on the inside, I wasn't coming out of turn one in second place," said Piastri, reflecting on that incident.