Drama took center stage at the F1 Sprint at the United States Grand Prix after a first corner collision unfolded into a dramatic sequence of events.
The incident, which did not require further investigation by the FIA, resulted in both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and championship leader Oscar Piastri, crashing out in Turn 1 of the 19-lap race.
The Australian driver went for the inside and bounced back into the Briton, tagging Nico Hulkenberg with his left rear, who started from P4, Kick Sauber’s best-ever Sprint Qualifying result.
The German driver dropped down to P16, forced to pit due to the damage the car sustained in the front wing.
The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso also got caught up, forcing the Spaniard to retire the car.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen escaped danger with a flawless start, holding position into Turn 1 to push ahead, once the Safety Car went to the pits on the sixth lap.
On lap 8, there was a moment of tension when the Dutchman’s steady lead got threatened by Mercedes’ George Russell, who attempted a move, diving into the inside of Verstappen on Turn 12, but went wide.
The 28-year-old Dutch racer avoided contact by going off at the exit.
From there, the reigning champion pulled ahead, taking control of the race at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA).
On lap 16, Lance Stroll crashed into Esteban Ocon, bringing out a late Safety Car. Afterward, the Stewards reviewed the incident, determining a 5-place grid penalty for Stroll for colliding with the Haas of Ocon.
Verstappen held the lead to the end of the Sprint in Austin, crossing the finish line behind the Safety Car.
“I mean, the start was good,” he commented after the race. “Then, of course, there was the Safety Car because of the Turn 1 incident, and it took a few laps after the Safety Car to have decent pace, so we need to try to figure out what was going on there.
“Nevertheless, we won the Sprint, which is the most important thing. Looking for tomorrow, 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 from them.”
The Red Bull Racing driver took his 13th Sprint win of his career, bringing home 8 points, taking the checkered flag ahead of Russell and Williams’ Carlos Sainz, completing the podium.
The Scuderia Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc rounded up the Top 5.
Alex Albon also scored valuable points for Williams in P6, while Yuki Tsunoda finished seventh and Kimi Antonelli eighth in the overall standings.
Provisional Sprint Classification by the FIA:
Upcoming is Qualifying for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.