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Verstappen capitalized on a tactical decision from the British team that flew in the face of 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 in hindsight threw away the victory for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Results and Championship Consequences

The race winner won to take his 7th win of the season, matching Norris and Piastri, while the Australian was second and the British driver in fourth behind the Williams car of Carlos Sainz

The McLaren driver won himself an extra two points by passing the Mercedes driver's Mercedes on the penultimate lap

The championship leader has been maintained a twelve point advantage over his rival, who moved ahead of Piastri by four points heading to Abu Dhabi on 5-7 December

To win the title, Norris must secure a podium position at Yas Marina if Verstappen takes victory next Sunday

Key Moments of the Thrilling Race

• McLaren's decision not to pit when a yellow flag was called on lap seven for a collision between the French team's 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 unexpected podium finish for Sainz gifted by McLaren's strategy call

The Way The British Team Missed Out in Qatar

The fateful point for McLaren was when Gasly and Hulkenberg collided as the German tried to overtake the Gasly around the outside of Turn One on lap seven

Hulkenberg's car was left 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 race

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

Driver Responses and After the Event Statements

Speechless

Piastri added in his after-race conversation: Obviously we made mistakes tonight I drove the best race I was capable of, as fast as I could, but there was no more pace 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 correct decision to pit It was intelligent Furthermore super-happy to triumph in Qatar and remain competitive to the end, remarkable

Final Race Standings

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

What's Next?

The crucial championship finale at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit This venue does not create the most exciting racing, but once again this twilight race hosts an event which appears set to become every bit as dramatic as Sebastian Vettel's first title in twenty-ten, or the Dutch driver's highly controversial first title in twenty-twenty-one