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

It was a costly decision that gave up track position to Verstappen in the final stages and retrospectively cost the race win for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Results and Championship Implications

The race winner won to take his 7th win of the campaign, equalling Norris and Piastri, while the Piastri was runner-up and the British driver in fourth behind the Williams car of Carlos Sainz

Norris won himself an additional points by overtaking the Mercedes driver's Mercedes on the second-to-last lap

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

To win the title, Norris must finish at least third at Yas Marina if Verstappen wins the race next Sunday

Key Events of the Dramatic Grand Prix

• McLaren's decision not to stop when a yellow flag was called on lap seven for a crash between Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Swiss team's Hulkenberg
• A strategy initiated by the Australian to bring forward his last pit stop in a last-ditch effort to challenge the leader came to nothing
• A surprise podium finish for the Williams driver handed by McLaren's tactical decision

The Way McLaren Lost Out in The Race

The fateful point for the team was when Gasly and Hulkenberg collided as the German tried to pass the Gasly around the outside of the first corner on lap seven

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

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

With the tire manufacturer imposing a twenty-five lap safety limit on the tires, that signified anyone who made a stop at that time was locked into a fixed plan with a additional pit stop on the thirty-second lap

Competitor Responses and Post-Race Statements

No words

Piastri added in his post-race conversation: Obviously we made mistakes tonight My driving was the strongest performance I could, as quick as I possible, but there was no more pace out there Attempted my best but didn't get it done

The race winner said: That represented an amazing performance for us Our team executed the right call to pit That proved intelligent Furthermore extremely pleased to triumph in Qatar and stay in the fight to the end, incredible

Ultimate Race Positions

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

Looking Ahead

The all-important championship finale at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit The circuit itself does not produce the most exciting competition, but once again this twilight race hosts an event which promises to be every bit as dramatic as Sebastian Vettel's first title in 2010, or Verstappen's much-debated initial championship in twenty-twenty-one