Formula 1 chief Ross Brawn has praised the “ebb and flow” of the 2021 championship as it prepares to enter its final stint.
Max Verstappen holds an eight-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton with the pair having won 16 of this year’s 20 grands prix.
Only two rounds remain in 2021, with the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah set to be followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at a partially reprofiled Yas Marina.
Verstappen mathematically has his first chance of sealing the title at Jeddah if he outscores Hamilton by 18 or more points.
“It was a beautiful weekend for Lewis,” said Brawn in his post-event column.
“He dialled into the track very quickly and delivered the kind of accomplished performance in qualifying that we have come to expect.
“On race day, he didn’t put a foot wrong and very much deserved that win. It’s left the championship even more finely poised than it was before.
“What’s great about this championship is we have this ebb and flow. We had a period where you thought Red Bull were going to run away with it and then Mercedes came back.
“There are just eight points in it with two races and maximum of 52 on the table. It’s the title race that keeps on giving.”
Last weekend’s event at Losail was Formula 1’s first visit to Qatar; the country will return to the schedule from 2023 on a 10-year deal at a yet-to-be-determined location.
“The promoter did a fabulous job to put this event on and now has had a real insight into F1, which will be invaluable for when we return in two years’ time,” he said.
“This has been a perfect event for them to understand what they need to do for the long term.”
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