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Verstappen benefited from 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 expensive choice that sacrificed track position to Verstappen in the closing laps and retrospectively threw away the victory for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Outcome and Title Consequences

Verstappen won to take his 7th victory of the season, matching Norris and Piastri, while the Piastri was second and the British driver in fourth behind the Williams of the Spanish driver

Norris won himself an extra two points by passing the Mercedes driver's Silver Arrow on the penultimate lap

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

To secure the championship, the British driver must secure a podium position at Yas Marina if Verstappen takes victory next race day

Critical Moments of the Dramatic Race

• The team's decision not to stop when a safety car was deployed on the seventh lap for a crash between the French team's Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy led by the Australian to bring forward his last pit stop in a last-ditch effort to challenge Verstappen proved unsuccessful
• A unexpected second podium for the Williams driver gifted by McLaren's tactical decision

The Way The British Team Lost Out in The Race

The critical point for the team was when Gasly and Hulkenberg came together as the German tried to pass the Frenchman around the outside of the first corner on lap seven

Hulkenberg's car was left damaged beside the track That brought out the yellow flag

The critical part of the timing was that it meant there were 50 laps remaining in the race

With the tire manufacturer enforcing a 25-lap safety limit on the tires, that meant anyone who pitted at that moment was committed to a fixed plan with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Driver Reactions and Post-Race Statements

Speechless

The McLaren driver added in his post-race interview: Clearly we didn't get it right tonight My driving was the strongest performance I was capable of, as fast as I could, but there was no more pace out there Attempted my best but couldn't secure victory

Verstappen said: This was an amazing performance for us We made the correct decision to pit It was smart And extremely pleased to win here and remain competitive to the head, remarkable

Ultimate Grand Prix Standings

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

Looking Ahead

The crucial championship finale at the Yas Marina This venue does not create the most exciting competition, but once again this evening event features an event which appears set to become every bit as thrilling as Vettel's maiden championship in 2010, or Verstappen's highly controversial initial championship in 2021