Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris exit US sprint in first-lap drama as Max Verstappen claims victory
Updated . First published at
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen won the US Grand Prix sprint for the third year in a row on Sunday morning (AEDT) after McLaren's title contenders Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided at the start and retired.
The Red Bull driver, starting from pole position at Austin's Circuit of the Americas with Norris alongside, finished 0.395 seconds clear of Mercedes' George Russell, with Carlos Sainz third for Williams and Lewis Hamilton fourth for Ferrari.
The eight points for victory left four-time world champion Verstappen 55 points adrift of championship leader Piastri with the main grand prix to come and five further rounds after that, including two more sprints.
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Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collide, ending both title rivals' sprint race prematurely. Sam Bloxham via LAT Images
"The start was good, then of course there was the safety car because of the Turn 1 incident," Verstappen said after just the sort of perfect outcome he needs to have a chance of a fifth successive title.
"Then it took a few laps after the safety car to have a decent pace."
"I do think we need to be a bit better in race trim to be able to fight the McLarens because we haven't seen anything of them."
Norris and Piastri's race was over in a matter of metres; the Australian's car was hit by Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg at the first corner and pitched onto his teammate's.
The safety car was deployed, with debris strewn across the track.
"Someone just wiped me out, I'm out," Norris said, a blameless victim who tried to continue but stopped on track.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris tangle in their McLarens, leaving both drivers out of the US sprint race after the first corner. Clive Mason via Getty Images
Piastri, 22 points clear of his teammate at the top of the standings, made it back to the pit lane but retired with a broken suspension.
"I had a pretty good start, we both went pretty deep into Turn 1, and I tried to cut back, and got a hit, so obviously not a great way to start the day," the Australian said.
"That was terrible. Neither of our drivers [is] to blame there," McLaren boss Zak Brown told Sky Sports' F1.
"That's some amateur-hour driving by some drivers up there at the front, [they] whacked out two guys.
Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, was less sure: "From a racing driver's point of view, it was more on Oscar. Lando's not even in this conversation. He was just unlucky to be there," he said.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fifth after being overtaken by Hamilton, Alex Albon finished sixth for Williams, with Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda seventh, and the final point went to Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Haas's Oliver Bearman finished eighth on track but collected a 10-second penalty for going off and gaining an advantage.
Sprint winner Max Verstappen celebrates his victory. Bryn Lennon/ Formula 1 via Getty Images
Russell and Verstappen both ran wide as the Brit tried to pass at the midpoint of the race, but the leader retained the position.
"I knew that was the only chance. I had to try it," Russell said over the radio after being complimented by team boss Toto Wolff on a "good send".
The 19-lap race finished behind the safety car after Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, whose teammate Fernando Alonso was caught up in the first-lap mayhem, and Haas's Esteban Ocon collided three laps from the end.
