Verstappen wins US Sprint as both McLarens crash out on first lap

Max Verstappen won the United States Grand Prix Sprint after both McLaren drivers crashed out on the first lap. The result shrinks Verstappen’s title deficit to 55 points with six grands prix and two Sprints remaining.

Title leader Oscar Piastri got a better start than teammate Lando Norris from third and second on the grid respectively to pull slightly ahead in the braking zone of the first turn. Not wanting to get hung around the outside of the corner, Piastri cut back to the inside line to try to get past the sister car, but as he switched lines he was ploughed into by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.

Hulkenberg, starting fourth, had Fernando Alonso on his inside and had no option to change course. He skittled Piastri into Norris, triggering a first-turn calamity that instantly took both McLaren drivers and Alonso out of the race and caused damage to his car and those of two other drivers.

“That was terrible,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown told Sky Sports television. “Neither of our drivers to blame there.

“Some amateur hour driving from some other drivers up there in the front … clearly Nico drove into Oscar, and he had no business being where he was.”

The safety car was deployed to clear the mess of debris in the first sector, and when the race resumed on lap 6, Verstappen led George Russell for the day’s first full lap of racing.

Russell clung close to the Red Bull Racing car and on lap 9 launched a late-braking move into Turn 12 at the end of the back straight. He held the inside line but couldn’t slow the car enough to make the corner. Both drivers sailed off the road, with Verstappen retaining the lead and Russell’s momentum broken.

It was the only time Verstappen’s place was challenged, and he subsequently checked out in the lead to claim a comfortable victory.

“It took a few laps after the safety car to have decent pace, so we need to figure out what was going on there, but nevertheless we won the sprint, which is most important," said the world champion. “Looking to tomorrow, I think we need to be a bit better in race trim to fight the McLarens, because we haven’t seen any of them today.

“We’ll have a look. Of course we have some ideas what we can do. Hopefully we’ll just stick a bit better tomorrow.”

Russell consolidated second place in a good result for Mercedes after a muted sprint qualifying result, albeit his three-place gain was entirely down to the first-lap crash.

“I knew you don’t get many opportunities with Max, so I saw half a chance and sent it,” he said of his one shot at the lead. “I was probably too far behind.

“I’m glad I gave it a go. P2 for sure is better than we expected.”

Carlos Sainz completed the podium in third for Williams, the Spaniard also benefiting from the first-lap chaos to rise up the order.

“We definitely had a solid race,” he said. “We had solid pace. The Ferraris were quick behind but I could keep them under control, and we brought him P3, which feels really good.”

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both navigated the carnage successfully to score points in fourth and fifth, with Hamilton punishing Leclerc for running off the road on lap 9 by passing him decisively into Turn 12 at the end of the back straight.

Alex Albon finished sixth ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who made a sensational start to rise 11 places before the safety car was called on the first lap. The Red Bull Racing driver appeared to strike carbon fiber as he rounded the first turn on a tight inside line, but any debris stuck in his car appeared to clear during the Sprint, allowing him to hold the place.

Oliver Bearman took the checkered flag in eighth for the final point of the sprint but was penalized 10s for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in defending the place from Kimi Antonelli. Worse news for the Haas driver was that the Sprint ended under another safety car after Lance Stroll punted the sister Haas of Esteban Ocon off the road with an overambitious dive into the first turn that took both drivers out of the race.

Antonelli inherited eight place, while the penalty dropped Bearman to 15th and last of the finishers, behind Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar, Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto, the latter two having pitted for repairs at the end of the first lap.

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