Source:REUTERS/ALTAF QADRI
[Saba Sports News] After securing a crucial victory at the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen will compete against Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for the annual championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. After the race, Verstappen once again teased McLaren’s strategic mistake with the phrase “once again,” stating that his rivals had helped him narrow the gap.
In the seventh lap, an incident between Hülkenberg and Gasly triggered a safety car, prompting most drivers to pit for new tires. However, McLaren let Piastri and Norris stay on the track. Given the mandatory 25-lap tire life, this strategy clearly backfired, as both drivers later needed to pit twice, losing all strategic flexibility. Ultimately, Verstappen won the race with an 8-second lead, while Piastri recovered to finish second, and Norris benefited from a late mistake by Antonelli to secure fourth. However, the 12-point gap to Verstappen means that Norris’s previously solid lead is quickly being eroded.
In the post-race press conference, Verstappen admitted that he was indeed surprised to see McLaren choose not to pit during the safety car period, realizing this would provide him with a significant advantage. With only one race left in the season, Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri are now separated by at most 16 points. What was once viewed as an internal championship battle for McLaren has now evolved into a three-way struggle.