🔗 Share this article

The championship contender benefited from a strategy call from McLaren that contradicted decisions made by all other squads during an early race safety car period

It was a expensive choice that gave up track position to Verstappen in the closing laps and in hindsight threw away the victory for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Outcome and Championship Consequences

Verstappen won to take his seventh victory of the season, equalling Norris and Piastri, while the Piastri was second and the Briton fourth behind the Williams car of Carlos Sainz

Norris earned an additional points by passing Kimi Antonelli's Silver Arrow on the penultimate lap

Norris has been maintained a twelve point advantage over Verstappen, who overtook Piastri by four points heading to the final race on December 5-7

To secure the championship, the British driver must secure a podium position at Yas Marina if Verstappen takes victory next Sunday

Critical Events of the Thrilling Grand Prix

• The team's choice not to stop when a yellow flag was deployed on lap seven for a crash between the French team's Pierre Gasly and Sauber's Hulkenberg
• A decision initiated by the Australian to advance his final stop in a desperate attempt to challenge Verstappen came to nothing
• A surprise second podium for Sainz gifted by McLaren's strategy call

How The British Team Lost Out in Qatar

The fateful moment for the team was when the two drivers collided as the German tried to pass the Gasly around the exterior of Turn One on lap seven

Hulkenberg's car was damaged beside the circuit That brought out the safety car

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

With the tire manufacturer imposing a 25-lap maximum usage on the tires, that signified anyone who made a stop at that moment was locked into a rigid strategy with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Competitor Reactions and After the Event Statements

Speechless

The McLaren driver added in his after-race interview: Obviously we made mistakes tonight My driving was the best race I was capable of, as quick as I could, but there was nothing left out there Attempted my best but couldn't secure victory

Verstappen stated: This was an incredible race for us We made the correct decision to box That proved intelligent And super-happy to triumph in Qatar and stay in the fight to the end, remarkable

Ultimate Grand Prix Standings

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

What's Next?

The all-important championship finale at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina This venue does not create the most exciting racing, but yet again this twilight race hosts an contest which promises to be every bit as dramatic as Vettel's first title in 2010, or the Dutch driver's much-debated first title in 2021