'Sulking' Max Verstappen meets his match in 'dizzying' Oscar Piastri - International Media reacts

"Dizzying" Oscar Piastri dazzled under the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to claim his third victory of the F1 season.

That is more than Max Verstappen and McLaren team-mate Lando Norris combined, and placed the Australian at the summit of the drivers' standings for the first time in his young career.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's "painful" start to the year continued at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but things are starting to look up in the Italian team's other garage, with Charles Leclerc claiming the Scuderia's first podium of the campaign.

Verstappen expressed his aggravation at being handed a five-second time penalty for his lap one clash with Piastri by choosing to say very little during his post-race media duties, a thinly-veiled shot at the FIA for punishing him.

Here is how media from around the world reacted to the fifth round of the F1 season.

🇬🇧 The Times - 'Hamilton: There wasn’t one second of Saudi GP where I felt comfortable'

British broadsheet newspaper The Times addressed Hamilton's torrid time at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where he started and finished seventh.

The 40-year-old said post race he was uncomfortable throughout the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but that he could not blame the car, as team-mate Leclerc took the SF-25 to the podium - for the first time all year.

Predicting the "painful" experience to continue indefinitely, the seven-time F1 drivers' champion nonetheless has the full backing of team principal Fred Vasseur, who said: "I will be 2,000 percent behind him and I will give him support here and we will start from tomorrow morning to try to find solutions."

🇳🇱 De Telegraaf - 'Why silent Max Verstappen was so surprised by his punishment: 'But everything I say can get me into trouble''

Dutch publication De Telegraaf focused on home son Verstappen, who failed to convert pole position into victory in Jeddah, instead having to settle for second place after his five-second time penalty.

In particular, it honed in on the 64-time grand prix winner's dissatisfaction with the stewards' handling of his well-documented first corner clash with Piastri, which earned him a race-deciding five-second time penalty.

Not for the first time, Verstappen made his feelings well known when speaking to the press, this time by limiting answers and highlighting that anything he does say could land him in trouble with the FIA.

🇮🇹 Corriere della Sera - 'Leclerc like Verstappen: he does magic with Ferrari. Someone explain to him why the car doesn't work'

Italian outlet Corriere della Sera likened Leclerc to fellow podium finisher Verstappen, drawing upon the similarities of the their current plights.

It suggests that, like the Dutchman, the Ferrari driver is having to wrangle more out of inadequate machinery than ought to be possible.

Questioning when Ferrari will deliver on its thus-far empty promises with the SF-25, it not only asks why the team has been unable to articulate its recent struggles, it insists "time is running out" for the Maranello squad to salvage something from its season.

🇩🇪 BILD - 'Piastri wins thanks to Verstappen penalty'

Germany publication BILD attributes Piastri's grand prix victory to Verstappen's time penalty, arguing the outcome of the race was decided not only by the first corner incident but also the stewards' intervention.

Highlighting how the title fight as is close as it has been in years, it underlined how the momentum now sits comfortably with the Australian driver after back-to-back wins, and having wrestled the lead of the championship standings from McLaren team-mate Norris.

As the only German on the grid, Nico Hulkenberg was given a "solid" verdict for his drive from P18 to P15, finishing three positions up on Stake team-mate Gabriel Bortleto.

🇪🇸 El País - 'Piastri is serious about the championship, victory in Saudi Arabia and the new championship leader'

Spanish newspaper El País states that Verstappen has "met his match" in Piastri, after the 24-year-old gave the four-time F1 drivers' champion a taste of his own medicine.

After highlighting how he has become the first Australian to lead the F1 drivers' championship since his manager, Mark Webber, in 2010, the article heaped high praise on him.

It called his fifth grand prix victory, and his third of the season a "statement that's a little dizzying considering the names he's competing against."

🇦🇺 Herald Sun - 'Piastri top of the world after taking down sulking Verstappen'

Australian tabloid the Herald Sun - unsurprisingly - tackled how native son Piastri achieved glory in Saudi Arabia, referring to the beaten Verstappen as "sulking" after being handed his critical time penalty.

It described the fight for victory between the pair as a "titanic battle" and examined why the "ruthless" Dutchman is in awe of the McLaren driver.

It focused on Verstappen's praise of Piastri, underlining his belief that the Australian all that is needed to claim the drivers' title.