🔗 Share this article

Verstappen benefited from a tactical decision from McLaren that contradicted decisions made by every other team during an early race safety car period

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

Race Results and Championship Implications

Verstappen won to take his 7th victory of the campaign, equalling the McLaren drivers, while the Piastri was runner-up and the British driver fourth behind the Williams car of the Spanish driver

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

The championship leader has been left with a 12-point advantage over Verstappen, who moved ahead of Piastri by four points heading to Abu Dhabi on December 5-7

To secure the championship, Norris must finish at least third at Yas Marina if his rival takes victory next race day

Critical Events of the Thrilling Grand Prix

• The team's choice not to stop when a yellow flag was deployed on lap seven for a crash between the French team's Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy initiated by Piastri to advance his final stop in a last-ditch effort to catch Verstappen proved unsuccessful
• A surprise second podium for Sainz gifted by McLaren's tactical decision

How The British Team Missed Out in The Race

The critical point for the team was when the two drivers came together as the Hulkenberg tried to overtake the Frenchman around the outside of Turn One on lap seven

The German's car was damaged beside the track That brought out the safety car

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

With Pirelli enforcing a 25-lap maximum usage on the tyres, that meant anyone who made a stop at that moment was locked into a fixed plan with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Driver Responses and After the Event Statements

Speechless

The McLaren driver commented in his after-race conversation: Clearly we made mistakes tonight My driving was the strongest performance I was capable of, as fast as I possible, but there was nothing left out there Attempted my best but didn't get it done

The race winner said: This was an amazing performance for us Our team executed the right call to pit That proved intelligent And extremely pleased to win here and stay in the fight to the end, incredible

Ultimate Grand Prix Standings

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

What's Next?

The crucial championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit The circuit itself does not produce the most thrilling racing, but yet again this evening event features an event which appears set to become every bit as thrilling as Vettel's maiden championship in twenty-ten, or the Dutch driver's much-debated first title in twenty-twenty-one