Oscar Piastri secures his debut Grand Prix victory, albeit with some McLaren drama.

Right from the start, Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen went three abreast off the line, but it was Piastri who emerged as the leader into Turn 1, commanding the race from there.

However, things took a turn when McLaren decided to pit Norris first during the second round of stops, ostensibly to fend off Lewis Hamilton. This move allowed Norris to come out ahead, sparking a series of team orders for him to return the lead to Piastri.

Norris seemed hesitant to comply, ignoring multiple calls from the team. It wasn't until Lap 68 of the 70-lap race that he finally slowed down, letting Piastri reclaim the lead. Piastri capitalised on the opportunity, finishing two seconds ahead of Norris to secure his maiden win.

Lewis Hamilton, despite facing his own set of challenges, managed to secure third place for Mercedes. The race wasn't without its share of controversy for Hamilton either, as he had a late-race clash with Verstappen, who eventually finished fifth.

Charles Leclerc came in fourth, while Carlos Sainz took sixth, just behind Verstappen. Sergio Perez, who started from a lowly P16, made impressive strides to finish seventh. George Russell, also recovering from a back-of-the-grid start in P17, took eighth place.

The top ten was rounded out by Yuki Tsunoda in ninth and Lance Stroll in tenth. Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out, finishing eleventh for Aston Martin, followed by Daniel Ricciardo, who had a lacklustre day in twelfth despite starting ninth.

Let’s hope the team drama doesn’t sow discord between the two papaya drivers.

Photo Credits: Formula One