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The championship contender benefited from 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 final stages and retrospectively cost the victory for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Results and Championship Implications

The race winner triumphed to take his seventh victory of the campaign, matching Norris and Piastri, while the Piastri was second and the British driver fourth behind the Williams car of the Spanish driver

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

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

To win the title, the British driver must secure a podium position at Abu Dhabi if his rival takes victory next race day

Key Moments of the Thrilling Race

• The team's choice not to stop when a safety car was called on lap seven for a collision between Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Swiss team's Hulkenberg
• A decision initiated by Piastri to bring forward his final stop in a desperate attempt to catch Verstappen proved unsuccessful
• A unexpected second podium for Sainz handed by the team's tactical decision

How The British Team Missed Out in Qatar

The fateful moment for the team was when Gasly and Hulkenberg collided as the German tried to pass the Frenchman around the exterior of the first corner on lap seven

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

The critical part of the timing was that it left exactly 50 laps left in the race

With Pirelli enforcing a twenty-five lap safety limit on the tires, that meant anyone who made a stop at that moment was locked into a fixed plan with a additional pit stop on the thirty-second lap

Driver Responses and After the Event Comments

Speechless

Piastri commented in his after-race conversation: Clearly we didn't get it right tonight My driving was the best race I could, as fast as I possible, but there was no more pace out there Tried my best but couldn't secure victory

Verstappen said: This was an incredible race for us We made the correct decision to box That proved intelligent Furthermore extremely pleased to triumph in Qatar and stay in the fight to the end, incredible

Ultimate Grand Prix Standings

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

What's Next?

The crucial title decider at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina The circuit itself does not produce the most exciting competition, but once again this evening event features an contest which promises to be every bit as thrilling as Vettel's first title in twenty-ten, or the Dutch driver's much-debated initial championship in 2021