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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 deployment

It was a expensive choice that sacrificed track position to Verstappen in the final stages and retrospectively cost the victory for Piastri

Race Results and Championship Implications

The race winner won to take his seventh win of the season, equalling the McLaren drivers, while the Piastri was second and the Briton in fourth behind the Williams of the Spanish driver

Norris won himself an additional points by overtaking Kimi Antonelli's Silver Arrow on the penultimate lap

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

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

Critical Events of the Thrilling Grand Prix

• McLaren's choice not to pit when a safety car was deployed on lap seven for a crash between Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg
• A decision initiated by the Australian to advance his last pit stop in a desperate attempt to catch Verstappen came to nothing
• A unexpected second podium for the Williams driver gifted by the team's strategy call

How The British Team Missed Out in The Race

The fateful moment for McLaren was when the two drivers collided as the German tried to pass the Gasly around the exterior of the first corner on lap seven

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

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

With Pirelli enforcing a 25-lap safety limit on the tyres, that signified anyone who pitted at that time was locked into a rigid strategy with a second stop on lap 32

Competitor Responses and After the Event Statements

No words

The McLaren driver added in his post-race conversation: Obviously we didn't get it right tonight I drove the best race I was capable of, as quick as I possible, but there was nothing left out there Attempted my utmost but didn't get it done

Verstappen said: That represented an amazing performance for us Our team executed the right call to box That proved smart Furthermore super-happy to triumph in Qatar and remain competitive to the head, incredible

Ultimate Grand Prix Positions

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

Looking Ahead

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