🔗 Share this article

Verstappen benefited from a tactical decision from the British team that flew in the face of decisions made by every other team during an early race safety car deployment

This proved to be a expensive choice that sacrificed track position to the Red Bull driver in the final stages and in hindsight threw away the victory for Piastri

Grand Prix Results and Title Implications

Verstappen triumphed to take his 7th victory of the campaign, equalling the McLaren drivers, while the Australian was second and the Briton fourth behind the Williams of the Spanish driver

Norris won himself an additional points by overtaking the Mercedes driver's Silver Arrow on the second-to-last lap

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

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

Key Events of the Dramatic Race

• McLaren's choice not to pit when a yellow flag was deployed on lap seven for a collision between the French team's Pierre Gasly and Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy initiated by Piastri to bring forward his last pit stop in a last-ditch effort to challenge the leader proved unsuccessful
• A unexpected second podium for the Williams driver gifted by McLaren's tactical decision

How The British Team Lost Out in The Race

The critical moment for the team was when Gasly and Hulkenberg collided as the German tried to overtake the Frenchman around the outside of the first corner on lap seven

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

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

With Pirelli enforcing a twenty-five lap safety limit on the tyres, that meant anyone who pitted at that moment was locked into a rigid strategy with a second stop on the thirty-second lap

Driver Responses and Post-Race Statements

No words

Piastri added in his post-race conversation: Obviously we didn't get it right tonight I drove the best race I was capable of, as quick as I possible, but there was no more pace out there Attempted my best but didn't get it done

Verstappen stated: That represented an amazing performance for us We made the correct decision to pit It was smart And super-happy to win here and stay in the fight to the head, remarkable

Ultimate Grand Prix Standings

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

Looking Ahead

The all-important championship finale at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit The circuit itself does not create the most thrilling racing, but yet again this evening event hosts an contest which promises to be every bit as dramatic as Vettel's maiden championship in twenty-ten, or Verstappen's much-debated initial championship in twenty-twenty-one