Max Verstappen dazzles in Qatar as Drivers' Championship heads to Abu Dhabi

The Formula 1 Drivers' Championship will head to Abu Dhabi. 

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had an incredible drive to keep his championship hopes alive, starting from third place on the grid to winning the Qatar Grand Prix and taking home the checkered flag. 

Verstappen, with his 25 points won, has moved into second in the Drivers’ Championship (396) ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (392), who is now in third and 16 points behind Lando Norris (408). 

Tyre strategy proved to be Max Verstappen’s best friend in Qatar Grand Prix 

With a 25-lap limit per tyre that carries over from free practice and the sprint, the Qatar Grand Prix would prove to be a race where figuring out when to pit and managing tyres became key. After an early safety car at Lap 7, when Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg collided, Verstappen would choose to take a gamble and come into the pit lane to put on a new set of medium tyres. The two McLarens would opt to stay out. 

Verstappen's decision to pit proved the winning strategy, as neither McLaren pitted until the 25th lap of the race (the maximum tyre limit). Since Verstappen and all other cars pitted at Lap 7, they wouldn't have to pit till Lap 32. 

After giving back the lead to the two McLarens after pitting, Verstappen would retake the lead of the race and not relinquish it after Piastri pitted at Lap 42. Norris would pit three laps later (45). McLaren's decision on how to handle its strategy ultimately proved costly.