Verstappen kept the position when racing resumed, and by lap six the stewards had issued a five-second penalty to the Red Bull driver, effectively handing Piastri the lead as long as he could stay close enough to Verstappen until the first round of pit stops when the Red Bull driver served the penalty.

Follow reaction as McLaren's Oscar Piastri edged out Max Verstappen to overtake team-mate Lando Norris and go top of the standings in Jeddah

After retaining the position despite Piastri’s complaints, the stewards hit Verstappen with a five-second time penalty. The McLaren star inherited the lead through the pit cycle as a result and kept his rival at arm’s length throughout the second stint, answering the reigning world champion’s attacks at every step of the way.