After taking victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri was sitting pretty at the top of the championship. Norris' retirement from second had put the Briton 34 points behind his team-mate, with Verstappen 104 points behind. A series of stellar victories in the early phases of the season had demonstrated Piastri's efficacy in a position of dominance, as he sought retribution from his ignominious slide off the circuit amid a downpour midway through the Melbourne season opener.
After a controlled display in China and third place in Japan, Piastri later bagged three victories in a row to bring himself into the lead of the championship over Norris; Bahrain offered a pole-fastest lap-win combo, and the Australian then forced Verstappen into passing him off-track in Jeddah and benefited from the Dutchman's subsequent penalty. He then put a move on the polesitting Red Bull in the opening half of the Miami race to extend that points lead further.
