Piastri took his second grand prix podium in F1 by finishing 4.5s behind the Dutchman at Losail, with Norris crossing the line in third just one second behind his team-mate.
Due to concerns over potential tyre failures, stint lengths were reduced to a maximum of 18 laps on a single set of tyres, effectively mandating three-stops in the 57-lap race.
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McLaren was tipped to excel on the high downforce track and its one-lap pace indeed appeared genuine, as evidenced by Piastri winning Saturday's 19-lap sprint from pole.
But according to team boss Andrea Stella, the McLarens managed to stick closer to Verstappen over a full grand prix distance because Red Bull wasn't fully able to flex its muscle.
"I think first of all the leader's strategy is a little sub-optimal from a race time point of view, because it is the safest strategy when you add in the margin," Stella said.
"It protects you from a late safety car, so there is a flattering element in the fact that they were on a strategy that loses time.
"Secondly, I am not sure how much they were pushing. I was certainly perceiving that maybe Max didn’t have so much in hand like he had other times."
Source: Autosport