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The championship contender capitalized on a tactical decision from the British team that flew in the face of decisions made by all other squads during an initial safety car deployment

It was a expensive choice that gave up track position to Verstappen in the closing laps and retrospectively cost the race win for the Australian driver

Race Results and Championship Consequences

Verstappen triumphed to take his seventh win of the campaign, matching Norris and Piastri, while the Piastri was second and the Briton fourth behind the Williams of the Spanish driver

The McLaren driver won himself an extra two points by passing the Mercedes driver's Mercedes on the penultimate 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 5-7 December

To secure the championship, Norris must finish at least third at Yas Marina if his rival wins the race next Sunday

Critical Moments of the Dramatic Race

• McLaren's choice 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 initiated by the Australian to advance his last pit stop in a desperate attempt to catch Verstappen proved unsuccessful
• A surprise podium finish for Sainz handed by the team's strategy call

How The British Team Lost Out in The Race

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

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

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

With Pirelli enforcing a 25-lap maximum usage on the tires, that meant anyone who pitted at that time was committed to a rigid strategy with a additional pit stop on lap 32

Competitor Reactions and Post-Race Statements

No words

The McLaren driver added in his post-race interview: Clearly we made mistakes tonight My driving was the strongest performance I was capable of, as fast as I possible, but there was nothing left out there Tried my utmost but didn't get it done

Verstappen said: This was an incredible race for us We made the correct decision to pit That proved intelligent And extremely pleased to win here and stay in the fight to the end, remarkable

Ultimate Race Positions

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

Looking Ahead

The crucial title decider at the Yas Marina Circuit The circuit itself does not produce the most exciting racing, but once again this evening event features an contest which promises to be every bit as dramatic as Sebastian Vettel's maiden championship in 2010, or Verstappen's highly controversial initial championship in 2021