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Verstappen capitalized on a strategy call from McLaren that contradicted decisions made by every other team during an initial safety car period

It was a costly decision that gave up track position to the Red Bull driver in the final stages and retrospectively cost the victory for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Results and Championship Implications

Verstappen won to take his seventh victory of the season, equalling Norris and Piastri, while the Piastri was second and the British driver in fourth behind the Williams of the Spanish driver

The McLaren driver earned an additional points by passing the Mercedes driver's Mercedes on the penultimate lap

The championship leader has been left with a twelve point lead over his rival, who moved ahead of Piastri by four points heading to the final race on 5-7 December

To secure the championship, the British driver must finish at least third at Yas Marina if his rival wins the race next Sunday

Critical Events of the Thrilling Race

• The team's decision not to pit when a safety car was called on lap seven for a crash between the French team's Pierre Gasly and Sauber's Hulkenberg
• A strategy led by the Australian to advance his last pit stop in a last-ditch effort to challenge the leader proved unsuccessful
• A surprise podium finish for Sainz handed by the team's tactical decision

The Way The British Team Missed Out in Qatar

The fateful moment for McLaren was when the two drivers collided as the Hulkenberg tried to overtake the Frenchman around the exterior of the first corner on the seventh lap

The German's car was left damaged beside the track This triggered the safety car

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

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

Driver Responses and After the Event Comments

No words

Piastri added in his after-race interview: Clearly we didn't get it right tonight My driving was the strongest performance I could, as fast as I possible, but there was nothing left out there Tried my utmost but couldn't secure victory

Verstappen said: This was an incredible race for us We made the correct decision to box It was smart Furthermore super-happy to win here and stay in the fight to the head, incredible

Final Race Standings

• 1. Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
• 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
• 3. Sainz (Williams)
• 4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
• 5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
• 6. Russell (Mercedes)
• 7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
• 8. Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari)
• 9. Lawson (Racing Bulls)
• 10. Tsunoda (Red Bull)

What's Next?

The crucial title decider at the Yas Marina Circuit The circuit itself does not create the most thrilling racing, but yet again this twilight race features an event which appears set to become every bit as dramatic as Sebastian Vettel's first title in 2010, or the Dutch driver's highly controversial first title in twenty-twenty-one