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The championship contender capitalized on a tactical decision from McLaren that flew in the face of decisions made by all other squads during an initial safety car deployment

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

Race Outcome and Title Consequences

The race winner won to take his seventh victory of the season, matching Norris and Piastri, while the Australian was runner-up and the British driver fourth behind the Williams car of Carlos Sainz

Norris earned an extra two points by passing the Mercedes driver's Mercedes on the penultimate lap

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

To win the championship, the British driver must finish at least third at Yas Marina if Verstappen takes victory next race day

Key Moments of the Dramatic Race

• The team's choice not to stop when a yellow flag was called on the seventh lap for a collision between the French team's Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy led by the Australian to bring forward his final stop in a last-ditch effort to challenge Verstappen came to nothing
• A unexpected second podium for Sainz gifted by the team's tactical decision

The Way The British Team Missed Out in Qatar

The fateful moment for the team was when the two drivers came together as the Hulkenberg tried to pass the Frenchman around the outside of the first corner on lap seven

The German's car was left damaged beside the track This triggered the yellow flag

The crucial part of the timing was that it meant there were 50 laps left in the grand prix

With the tire manufacturer enforcing a twenty-five lap maximum usage on the tires, that meant anyone who pitted at that moment was committed to a fixed plan with a second stop on the thirty-second lap

Driver Reactions and Post-Race Statements

Speechless

Piastri commented in his after-race conversation: Obviously we made mistakes tonight My driving was the best race I was capable of, as fast as I possible, but there was no more pace out there Attempted my best but didn't get it done

Verstappen said: That represented an incredible race for us We made the correct decision to pit That proved intelligent Furthermore super-happy to triumph in Qatar and stay in the fight to the head, remarkable

Final Race Standings

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

Looking Ahead

The all-important title decider at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit This venue does not produce the most exciting competition, but yet again this twilight race features an contest which appears set to become every bit as thrilling as Vettel's first title in 2010, or the Dutch driver's much-debated initial championship in 2021