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The championship contender capitalized on a strategy call from the British team that flew in the face of decisions made by every other team during an initial safety car period

It was a expensive choice that sacrificed track position to Verstappen in the closing laps and in hindsight cost the victory for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Results and Title Consequences

Verstappen won to take his 7th victory of the season, equalling the McLaren drivers, while the Australian was runner-up and the Briton in fourth behind the Williams car of the Spanish driver

Norris earned an extra two points by passing the Mercedes driver's Mercedes on the second-to-last lap

Norris has been maintained a 12-point lead over his rival, who moved ahead of his teammate by four points heading to the final race on 5-7 December

To secure the title, Norris must secure a podium position at Abu Dhabi if Verstappen takes victory next race day

Critical Events of the Dramatic Race

• McLaren's choice not to pit when a yellow flag was deployed on lap seven for a crash between Alpine's Gasly and Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy led by the Australian to bring forward his final stop in a desperate attempt to catch Verstappen came to nothing
• A surprise podium finish for the Williams driver handed by McLaren's tactical decision

How McLaren Lost Out in Qatar

The fateful point for the team was when the two drivers came together as the Hulkenberg tried to overtake the Gasly around the outside of the first corner on lap seven

Hulkenberg's car was damaged beside the track This triggered the yellow flag

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

With the tire manufacturer enforcing a twenty-five lap maximum usage on the tires, that signified anyone who pitted at that time was committed to a rigid strategy with a second stop on lap 32

Competitor Responses and After the Event Comments

No words

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

Verstappen said: This was an incredible race for us We made the right call to pit That proved intelligent And extremely pleased to triumph in Qatar and remain competitive to the end, remarkable

Ultimate Race Positions

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

What's Next?

The all-important championship finale at the Yas Marina This venue does not create the most thrilling competition, but once again this evening event hosts an contest which appears set to become every bit as thrilling as Vettel's maiden championship in 2010, or the Dutch driver's much-debated initial championship in twenty-twenty-one