🔗 Share this article

Verstappen capitalized on a strategy call from McLaren that contradicted decisions made by all other squads during an early race safety car period

It was a expensive choice that sacrificed track position to the Red Bull driver in the final stages and in hindsight cost the race win for the Australian driver

Grand Prix Outcome and Championship Consequences

Verstappen won to take his seventh win of the season, equalling Norris and Piastri, while the Australian was second and the British driver in fourth behind the Williams car of the Spanish driver

The McLaren driver earned an additional points by overtaking the Mercedes driver's Silver Arrow on the penultimate lap

The championship leader has been maintained a 12-point advantage over Verstappen, who overtook Piastri by four points heading to Abu Dhabi on 5-7 December

To secure the championship, the British driver must secure a podium position at Abu Dhabi if his rival wins the race next Sunday

Critical Events of the Dramatic Grand Prix

• McLaren's decision not to stop when a yellow flag was deployed on lap seven for a collision between Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Sauber's Hulkenberg
• A decision led by the Australian to bring forward his last pit stop in a desperate attempt to catch Verstappen came to nothing
• A unexpected second podium for Sainz gifted by McLaren's tactical decision

The Way McLaren Lost Out in The Race

The fateful point for McLaren was when the two drivers collided as the Hulkenberg tried to pass the Gasly around the outside of the first corner on the seventh lap

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

The crucial part of the timing was that it meant there were 50 laps left in the race

With the tire manufacturer imposing a twenty-five lap safety limit on the tyres, that signified anyone who pitted at that moment was committed to a rigid strategy with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Competitor Responses and After the Event Comments

No words

The McLaren driver commented in his post-race interview: Clearly we made mistakes tonight I drove the strongest performance I could, as quick as I possible, but there was no more pace out there Tried my best but couldn't secure victory

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

Final Race Standings

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

What's Next?

The all-important championship finale at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit The circuit itself does not create the most exciting competition, but once again this evening event hosts an contest which appears set to become every bit as thrilling as Vettel's maiden championship in 2010, or Verstappen's highly controversial initial championship in twenty-twenty-one