🔗 Share this article Norris' Championship Wait Goes On as Max Verstappen Wins in Qatar The Red Bull driver claimed his seventh victory of the season Lando Norris, Red Bull's Verstappen and McLaren's Piastri will battle for a decisive championship clash in Abu Dhabi after the Dutch driver emerged victorious in a gripping Qatar GP The championship contender capitalized on a tactical decision from McLaren that flew in the face of decisions made by every other team during an initial safety car period It was a expensive choice that gave up track position to the Red Bull driver in the closing laps and in hindsight cost the race win for Piastri Race Results and Title Implications The race winner won to take his seventh win of the campaign, equalling the McLaren drivers, while the Australian was runner-up and the British driver fourth behind the Williams of Carlos Sainz The McLaren driver earned an extra two points by passing Kimi Antonelli's Silver Arrow on the second-to-last lap The championship leader has been left with a twelve point advantage over his rival, who moved ahead of Piastri by four points heading to Abu Dhabi on December 5-7 To secure the championship, Norris must finish at least third at Yas Marina if Verstappen wins the race next Sunday Critical Events of the Dramatic Race The team's choice not to pit when a safety car was called on lap seven for a collision between Alpine's Gasly and the Swiss team's Nico Hulkenberg A decision initiated by Piastri to advance his last pit stop in a last-ditch effort to catch the leader came to nothing A surprise second podium for the Williams driver gifted by the team's strategy call The Way The British Team Missed Out in The Race The fateful moment for McLaren was when Gasly and Hulkenberg came together as the German tried to pass the Frenchman around the exterior of the first corner on lap seven Hulkenberg's car was damaged beside the circuit That brought out the yellow flag The critical part of the timing was that it left exactly 50 laps left in the race With the tire manufacturer imposing a twenty-five lap safety limit on the tyres, that signified anyone who made a stop at that time was committed to a fixed plan with a second stop on the thirty-second lap Competitor Responses and Post-Race Comments Speechless The McLaren driver added in his post-race conversation: Obviously we didn't get it right tonight I drove the strongest performance I was capable of, 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 It was smart Furthermore super-happy to triumph in Qatar and stay in the fight to the head, incredible Final Grand Prix Positions 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 2. Piastri (McLaren) 3. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 4. Norris (McLaren Racing) 5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes-AMG) 6. Russell (Mercedes) 7. Alonso (Aston Martin F1) 8. Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari) 9. Liam Lawson (RB F1 Team) 10. Tsunoda (Red Bull Racing) Looking Ahead The crucial title decider at the Yas Marina Circuit This venue does not produce the most exciting competition, but yet again this evening event hosts an contest which promises to be every bit as thrilling as Vettel's maiden championship in twenty-ten, or Verstappen's highly controversial initial championship in 2021