Formula 1 is heading into its first final-race championship showdown between more than two drivers for 15 years after Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a dramatic Qatar Grand Prix thanks to a significant McLaren strategy error.

"Obviously not our greatest day," said McLaren driver Lando Norris, something of an understatement on a day on which his team threw away a win, albeit not for the Briton.

Norris' championship lead has been cut by Verstappen to 12 points heading to Abu Dhabi next weekend, with the other McLaren driver, Oscar Piastri, a further four points behind.

Piastri was left momentarily speechless after the race, as he digested the fact that a certain win had been turned into a second place to Verstappen, and his second place in the championship turned into third.

"It's pretty painful," the Australian said.

Norris is still the favourite to win the title - the points margin means that he just needs to finish third to win the championship in Abu Dhabi on Sunday even if Verstappen wins the race.

But if Qatar shows anything, it shows that anything can happen.

And it's worth casting one's mind back to the last time the final race had so many drivers in contention.

In 2010, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso headed to Abu Dhabi with leads of eight and 15 points over Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

Famously, in one of the most extraordinary championship climaxes in F1 history, Ferrari messed up their strategy and opened the door to Vettel to win his first title.