Max Verstappen's US Grand Prix sprint race victory puts him back in the title hunt, while a chaotic start crash takes out McLaren rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen, the polesitter, held off a determined Oscar Piastri at the start of the 19-lap sprint race in Austin. However, it was the move by Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified fourth for Sauber, that caused the incident. As Hulkenberg tried to pass Piastri on the inside, the two made contact, with Hulkenberg getting sandwiched between Piastri and Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin.
The collision sent Piastri into a spin, taking out his McLaren teammate Norris, who was also spun around. Both McLarens suffered terminal damage, with Alonso also involved in the incident and forced to retire. The safety car was deployed due to the debris and stricken cars across the track, neutralizing the race for the first five laps.
With the McLarens out of the way, Verstappen controlled the race from there, fending off a late challenge from George Russell of Mercedes. Carlos Sainz of Williams benefited from the chaos to move up to third, ahead of the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Yuki Tsunoda, in the second Red Bull, made the biggest move, jumping from 18th on the grid to seventh, despite carrying Hulkenberg's front wing for several corners.
Verstappen's pace wasn't dominant, as he struggled to shake off Russell. On lap 8, Russell attempted a bold move down the inside of Turn 12, forcing Verstappen to take evasive action while maintaining his lead. Russell's challenge faded, but Verstappen was still unhappy with his Red Bull's rear suspension setup, which will likely be adjusted before grand prix qualifying on the bumpy COTA layout.
Hamilton passed Leclerc for fourth on lap 9, the only other position change in the top eight during the race. On lap 16, Lance Stroll took out Esteban Ocon with a late lunge into Turn 1, ending both drivers' races. The safety car was deployed again, freezing positions.
Verstappen cruised to victory ahead of Russell and Sainz, followed by Hamilton and Leclerc. Alex Albon completed a successful morning for Williams in sixth, with Tsunoda finishing seventh. Haas' Oliver Bearman finished eighth, but he was handed a 10-second penalty for going off the track earlier in the race, dropping him to the back of the order.
Verstappen now trails Piastri by 55 points and Norris by 33 points, with six grands prix and two sprints remaining. The next race will be crucial in the title battle, and with the McLarens out of the way, Verstappen has a golden opportunity to close the gap.
