Max Verstappen ensured the Formula One title race will be decided at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend by claiming victory in Qatar on Sunday.
The Red Bull driver made it three victories on the spin with his latest win, finishing ahead of Oscar Piastri who was second and Carlos Sainz in third.
Current drivers' championship leader Lando Norris could only come home fourth which means his advantage over Verstappen heading into the season finale at Yas Marina Circuit is down to 12 points, with Piastri a further four points behind the Dutchman with 25 left to play for.
Norris can still become the first British driver to win the championship since Lewis Hamilton clinched the last of his seven titles in 2020.
But having entered the Qatar GP weekend with a 24-point lead over both his rivals, he will not look back too fondly on how it finished at the Lusail International Circuit
It could have been worse for Norris, though, with the McLaren driver overtaking Kimi Antonelli late in the race to seal fourth and rescue what could be two vital points in the title fight.
Norris is still in control heading towards the Abu Dhabi finale. If he finishes first, second or third in the capital, he will win the world championship – it doesn't matter where rivals Verstappen or Piastri finish.
McLaren were in control of the 57-lap contest, despite Norris dropping from second to third behind Verstappen at the start.
Piastri led, but both he and Norris were told not to pit when a safety car was deployed on the seventh lap after Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly collided.
Of the other 18 drivers, only Haas' Esteban Ocon elected not to stop for new tyres with two stops mandatory here.
That put Verstappen in the driving seat to keep his dream of winning a fifth straight title alive, and the Dutchman did not waste his opportunity, taking the chequered flag 7.9 seconds clear of Piastri with Norris – who came close to losing control of his McLaren on lap 36 of 57.
“Yeah, clearly we didn't get it right tonight,” said a disappointed Piastri after a race McLaren should have won.
“I drove the best race that I could, the fastest that I could. There was nothing left out there. I've tried my best but it wasn't to be tonight, unfortunately.
“In hindsight, it is pretty obvious what we would have done. I am sure we will discuss it as a team … I mean it is not all bad obviously. It has been a really good weekend, the pace has been very strong but it is a little bit tough to swallow at the moment.”
“It's tough, we just have to have faith in the team to make the right decision, it was a gamble and we were the ones who took the gamble in a way,” added Norris.
“Now it's the wrong decision, we shouldn't have done it. Oscar [Piastri] lost the win and I lost P2, so we didn't do a good job today.
“We've done plenty of good jobs in other races, we won the Constructors' [title] six races ago because of that. Not our finest day, but that's life.”
Verstappen has fond memories of the last time the title went down to the wire when he beat Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the last race in Abu Dhabi in 2021.
“This was an incredible race for us, we made the right call as a team to box under that safety car and yeah that was smart,” said Verstappen. “Super happy to win here, we stayed in the fight until the end. Incredible.”
On McLaren choosing not to pit, he added: “Yeah I was like that's an interesting move, I knew then that we had a bit of a gap, but you still need to keep the tyres alive, 25 laps as well, the wear is very high around here but luckily it all worked out.”
