Max Verstappen wins chaotic Austin Sprint as both McLarens crash out on lap 1
Max Verstappen claimed victory in the Sprint race at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, finishing ahead of George Russell and Carlos Sainz. Both Ferrari drivers followed just behind the podium places, with Lewis Hamilton leading Charles Leclerc in fourth and fifth. The race was marked by a dramatic first-lap crash that took both McLarens out of contention.
The chaos unfolded right at the start. Verstappen got off the line perfectly and held the lead into Turn 1, but behind him, disaster struck. Lando Norris held the inside line while Oscar Piastri attempted to switch across, unaware of Nico Hulkenberg’s presence on his outside. The German’s Haas made contact with the McLaren, sending Piastri into Norris and eliminating both drivers immediately.
The incident also damaged Fernando Alonso’s car, forcing the Spaniard to retire alongside the McLarens. Further back in the pack, Lance Stroll became involved in a separate collision, adding to the first-corner chaos. With debris scattered all over the track, the Safety Car was deployed immediately to allow marshals to clear the circuit.
Restart and race developments
When the race resumed, Verstappen led from Russell, Sainz, Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon, Tsunoda, and Bearman—who delivered an impressive start to climb into the points. Behind them followed Gasly, Antonelli, Lawson, Ocon, Bortoleto, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Hadjar, and Colapinto. The Sprint restarted on lap six with no immediate changes in position as the drivers settled into rhythm.
On lap eight, Russell launched an attack on Verstappen in the second DRS zone but braked too late, forcing both cars slightly off track and allowing Verstappen to retain control of the race.
Two laps later, Charles Leclerc made a small mistake through the first technical sector, opening the door for his teammate. Lewis Hamilton seized the opportunity with a bold move to overtake Leclerc and move up to fourth place.
By lap 14, attention shifted to the midfield battle. Andrea Kimi Antonelli challenged Oliver Bearman for eighth place, but the young Briton defended brilliantly, holding onto the final points position.
Moments later, Lance Stroll misjudged his braking point and locked up his front tyres, crashing heavily into Esteban Ocon’s Haas. Both drivers were forced to retire, and the Aston Martin driver immediately apologized for the error over team radio.
Safety car finish and final results
Due to the extent of the incident, the Safety Car stayed out until the chequered flag, meaning the Sprint ended in neutralized conditions. Max Verstappen crossed the line to secure another Sprint victory ahead of George Russell and Carlos Sainz. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, followed by Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, and Yuki Tsunoda. Kimi Antonelli took eighth place after Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman received a ten-second penalty for his defensive driving against the Italian. Lawson, Gasly, Bortoleto, Hadjar, Hulkenberg, and Colapinto completed the classification.
The result further extended Verstappen’s dominant record in Sprint events, while McLaren suffered a costly double DNF on what had looked like a promising weekend for the team.
Sprint race results
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Alex Albon (Williams)
Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
Ollie Bearman (Haas)
DNF: Esteban Ocon (Haas), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Lando Norris (McLaren) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
