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Verstappen benefited from a tactical decision from McLaren that flew in the face of decisions made by all other squads during an initial safety car period

This proved to be a expensive choice that sacrificed track position to the Red Bull driver in the closing laps and in hindsight cost the victory for the Australian driver

Race Outcome and Title Consequences

The race winner triumphed to take his 7th win of the campaign, equalling Norris and Piastri, while the Australian was second and the British driver fourth behind the Williams car of Carlos Sainz

Norris earned an additional points by overtaking the Mercedes driver's Silver Arrow on the second-to-last lap

The championship leader has been maintained a twelve point advantage over his rival, who overtook his teammate by four points heading to the final race on December 5-7

To secure the championship, Norris must secure a podium position at Abu Dhabi if Verstappen wins the race next race day

Critical Moments of the Thrilling Grand Prix

• The team's decision not to pit when a yellow flag was deployed on lap seven for a collision between the French team's Gasly and Sauber's Hulkenberg
• A decision initiated by Piastri to advance his final stop in a desperate attempt to catch the leader proved unsuccessful
• A unexpected second podium for the Williams driver gifted by the team's tactical decision

The Way The British Team Lost Out in The Race

The critical moment for McLaren was when Gasly and Hulkenberg came together as the Hulkenberg tried to overtake the Frenchman around the outside of Turn One on lap seven

The German's car was left damaged beside the track That brought out the safety car

The critical part of the timing was that it meant there were 50 laps left in the grand prix

With the tire manufacturer enforcing a twenty-five lap safety limit on the tires, that signified anyone who made a stop at that time was committed to a rigid strategy with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Driver Reactions and Post-Race Statements

Speechless

The McLaren driver commented in his post-race conversation: Obviously we made mistakes tonight My driving was the best race I was capable of, as fast as I possible, but there was nothing left out there Attempted my best but didn't get it done

Verstappen said: That represented an incredible race for us Our team executed the right call to box It was intelligent Furthermore super-happy to triumph in Qatar and stay in the fight to the end, remarkable

Final Race Positions

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

What's Next?

The all-important title decider at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit This venue does not create the most exciting competition, but yet again this evening event features an event which appears set to become every bit as dramatic as Vettel's first title in 2010, or Verstappen's much-debated first title in 2021