🔗 Share this article

Verstappen capitalized on a strategy call from the British team that contradicted decisions made by all other squads during an early race safety car deployment

It was a costly decision that sacrificed track position to Verstappen in the closing laps and in hindsight cost the race win for Piastri

Race Results and Championship Implications

Verstappen triumphed to take his seventh 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 won himself an extra two points by overtaking the Mercedes driver's Silver Arrow on the penultimate lap

The championship leader has been maintained a 12-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, the British driver must finish at least third at Yas Marina if Verstappen takes victory next Sunday

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 crash between the French team's Pierre Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy led by the Australian to bring forward his final stop in a desperate attempt to challenge Verstappen proved unsuccessful
• A surprise podium finish for Sainz gifted by McLaren's strategy call

How McLaren Missed Out in Qatar

The fateful point for McLaren was when the two drivers came together as the Hulkenberg tried to pass the Gasly around the exterior of Turn One on lap seven

Hulkenberg's car was damaged beside the circuit This triggered the safety car

The crucial part of the timing was that it left exactly 50 laps left in the grand prix

With the tire manufacturer enforcing a 25-lap safety limit on the tires, that meant anyone who pitted at that moment was locked into a rigid strategy with a second stop on the thirty-second lap

Competitor Reactions and Post-Race Statements

Speechless

The McLaren driver added in his post-race conversation: Clearly we made mistakes tonight My driving was the strongest performance I could, as quick as I possible, but there was nothing left out there Tried my best but couldn't secure victory

The race winner stated: This was an incredible race for us Our team executed the right call to box That proved intelligent Furthermore extremely pleased to triumph in Qatar and remain competitive to the end, incredible

Ultimate Grand Prix Positions

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

What's Next?

The crucial title decider at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina The circuit itself does not produce the most exciting racing, but yet again this evening event features an contest which appears set to become every bit as thrilling as Sebastian Vettel's maiden championship in twenty-ten, or the Dutch driver's highly controversial first title in 2021