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Verstappen benefited from a strategy call from McLaren that flew in the face of decisions made by every other team during an initial safety car deployment

This proved to be a costly decision that sacrificed track position to Verstappen in the closing laps and retrospectively cost the race win for the Australian driver

Race Results and Championship Consequences

Verstappen won to take his seventh victory of the season, equalling Norris and Piastri, while the Australian was runner-up and the British driver in fourth behind the Williams car of Carlos Sainz

The McLaren driver earned an additional points by overtaking Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes on the second-to-last lap

Norris has been left with a 12-point advantage over his rival, who overtook Piastri by four points heading to the final race on 5-7 December

To secure the title, Norris must finish at least third at Abu Dhabi if his rival takes victory next race day

Critical Events of the Thrilling Grand Prix

• The team's decision not to pit when a yellow flag was called on the seventh lap for a collision between Alpine's Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy led by Piastri to bring forward his last pit stop in a last-ditch effort to catch Verstappen came to nothing
• A unexpected podium finish for Sainz handed by the team's strategy call

The Way The British Team Lost Out in Qatar

The critical point for the team was when Gasly and Hulkenberg came together as the Hulkenberg tried to pass the Frenchman around the exterior of the first corner on the seventh lap

The German's car was damaged beside the track That brought out the yellow flag

The crucial part of the timing was that it meant there were 50 laps remaining in the race

With Pirelli enforcing a 25-lap maximum usage on the tyres, that meant anyone who pitted at that time was locked into a fixed plan with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Competitor Responses and After the Event Statements

Speechless

Piastri added in his after-race conversation: Obviously we didn't get it right tonight My driving was the strongest performance I could, as quick as I possible, but there was no more pace out there Tried my utmost but couldn't secure victory

Verstappen stated: That represented an amazing performance for us We made the correct decision to pit It was smart And extremely pleased to win here and stay in the fight to the head, remarkable

Ultimate Grand Prix Standings

• 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren Racing)
• 3. Carlos Sainz (Williams Racing)
• 4. Lando Norris (McLaren Racing)
• 5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
• 6. George Russell (Mercedes-AMG)
• 7. Alonso (Aston Martin F1)
• 8. Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
• 10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

Looking Ahead

The all-important title decider at the Yas Marina Circuit The circuit itself does not create the most thrilling racing, but yet again this twilight race hosts an contest which promises to be every bit as dramatic as Vettel's first title in twenty-ten, or the Dutch driver's much-debated initial championship in twenty-twenty-one