🔗 Share this article

Verstappen capitalized on 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 sacrificed track position to Verstappen in the final stages and retrospectively threw away the race win for Piastri

Grand Prix Outcome and Title Consequences

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

The McLaren driver earned an extra two points by overtaking Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes on the penultimate lap

Norris has been maintained a 12-point lead over his rival, who moved ahead of his teammate by four points heading to Abu Dhabi on December 5-7

To secure the title, the British driver must secure a podium position at Abu Dhabi if Verstappen wins the race next Sunday

Key Events of the Dramatic Grand Prix

• McLaren's decision not to stop when a yellow flag was called on lap seven for a collision between the French team's Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg
• A strategy led by the Australian to advance his last pit stop in a last-ditch effort to challenge Verstappen came to nothing
• A unexpected podium finish for the Williams driver gifted by McLaren's tactical decision

The Way McLaren Missed Out in The Race

The fateful point for the team was when the two drivers came together as the German tried to pass the Frenchman around the outside of Turn One on lap seven

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

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

With the tire manufacturer imposing a twenty-five lap maximum usage on the tyres, that meant anyone who pitted at that time was committed to a rigid strategy with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Driver Responses and Post-Race Statements

Speechless

The McLaren driver added in his post-race conversation: 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 utmost but didn't get it done

Verstappen said: This was an incredible race for us We made the right call to pit That proved intelligent Furthermore super-happy to win here and stay in the fight to the end, remarkable

Ultimate Race Positions

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

What's Next?

The all-important championship finale at the Yas Marina This venue does not produce the most thrilling racing, but yet again this twilight race features an event which promises to be every bit as thrilling as Sebastian Vettel's maiden championship in twenty-ten, or Verstappen's highly controversial initial championship in 2021