Sprint in Austin: McLaren fiasco after start

Max Verstappen celebrated a lights-to-flag victory in the sprint race at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were forced to retire after the first corner.

18 October 2025

From: apa

After 19 laps, the Dutchman, who started from pole position in the Red Bull, prevailed ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell and Carlos Sainz in the Williams. After a collision in the first corner that resulted in dozens of debris, centered on both McLaren drivers, Saturday's race in Austin had to be halted early with the safety car deployed.

A key player in the opening phase was World Championship leader Oscar Piastri, for whom the space next to Nico Hülkenberg and Lando Norris simply became too small. The Australian was virtually knocked off course by Hülkenberg's right front wheel, subsequently damaging his car and that of his teammate Norris. The stewards classified the incident as a standard racing accident.

Max Verstappen is getting closer and closer. © APA/afp / JIM WATSON

"That was terrible. None of our drivers are to blame," said McLaren boss Zak Brown in an interview with Sky Sports. It was initially unclear whether the McLaren cars would be roadworthy again in time for qualifying for the main race (11:00 p.m. CEST/live on ORF 1).

Afterwards little action on the track

On lap 5, the safety car was deployed, giving Verstappen a clear lead at the front. Behind him, Russell, Sainz, and the two Ferraris had stayed out of the way and moved into good positions. On lap 8, Russell attacked Verstappen, forcing both to exit the track at the last moment. One lap later, Lewis Hamilton overtook his teammate after a driving error by Charles Leclerc.

The race was finished behind the safety car © APA/afp / JOHN LOCHER

The race ended behind the safety car. Following an accident involving Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon, the car, driven by Bernd Mayländer, had to be redeployed. With the win, Verstappen reduced his World Championship deficit to Piastri to 55 points. The defending champion is in third place behind Norris.