Piastri can take the lead from Norris in Jeddah

JEDDAH : Oscar Piastri will become Australia's first Formula One championship leader in 15 years if the McLaren racer wins for the third time this season in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

The 24-year-old, one of four drivers who could end the weekend on top after a tiring 'triple header' run of races on three successive weekends, is the only repeat winner so far in 2025.

Piastri has the momentum, the confidence and the car to beat leading teammate Lando Norris as he seeks to add Jeddah's fast and floodlit street circuit to Shanghai and Bahrain on his victory list.

Currently three points adrift of Norris, who has led since the Melbourne opener, Piastri won in Bahrain from pole position with fastest lap last Sunday.

He beat his teammate in Jeddah last year, finishing fourth to Norris's eighth, and is now a step away from emulating manager Mark Webber, who led the standings with Red Bull in 2010.

"Jeddah is a track I really enjoy and have good memories of from past visits. I’m determined to hit the ground running in Saudi," said Piastri.

Norris, who was highly self-critical of his performance in Bahrain despite four podiums from four starts, is also keen to pick up speed in the fifth edition of the race on the shores of the Red Sea.

"Congrats to Oscar and the whole McLaren team. And I'll try step it up for next weekend," he said last Sunday.

FINAL PUSH

Red Bull's four-times world champion Max Verstappen, winner in Japan but eight points behind Norris, will seek to deny McLaren at a circuit that has been good to him in the past.

The Dutch 27-year-old was the winner last year, and in 2022, but this time he is more of an outsider after a tough night under the floodlights in Bahrain.

"Typically, there is less tyre degradation at this circuit, so