The Red Bull Racing man is now just 12 points behind heading into the final race

A critical strategy call early just seven laps into the Grand Prix in Qatar ensured Max Verstappen a victory which kept his world championship hopes alive heading into this weekend’s season finale.

After a crash between Pierre Gasly and Nico Hulkenberg brought out the safety car, McLaren duo and world championship contenders Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris opted to stay out while the rest of the field pitted. With safety concerns meaning drivers would have to pit every 25 laps, it forced McLaren’s hand as Verstappen tucked in behind them, only needing one more stop compared to their two.

In the end it would be a routine victory for the Dutchman as he once again closed the gap to Norris, overtaking Piastri in the standings heading into the finale in Abu Dhabi.

Norris remains in pole position to win the crown though, with a podium finish at Yas Marina enough to claim his first crown, with Verstappen needing to out-scorer the Brit by 13 points to claim a fifth straight title.

"I feel great, I am really proud of that one,”tVerstappen said afterwards. “We made the right call as a Team there to box: it was definitely what made us win the race today, as I felt like we were not on the same level as McLaren in terms of pace.

“When a safety car comes in it can shake up the grid and that was a great opportunity for us to then win the race. We did a very good job as a team and I was very proud of us, especially as we nailed the strategy.

“In Abu Dhabi, we have nothing to lose and we are going to give it everything that we have. Of course, we are relying on another crazy race like we had today, but we are going in there with positive energy.

“We need to maximise the car and be as competitive as we can. We will stay focused, try and have a good time and hope that we start the weekend well.”

Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda also navigated the field well to come home in the points, claiming a point for tenth.

He said: “Over the last few races the Team have given me a strong car and I've been able to stay as close as I can to Max, so I'll look to do the same next weekend. It was impressive to see him secure another win and I will help him as much as I can in Abu Dhabi.”