Max Verstappen wins sprint race, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri taken out in start crash

Max Verstappen has taken another step towards an unlikely Formula 1 title defence after winning the United States Grand Prix sprint race, while his McLaren rivals retired after a multi-car clash at the start.

One race on from their contact in Singapore, which didn’t have sporting consequences but which Lando Norris was held responsible for, McLaren’s title protagonists tangled again on the opening lap of Austin’s 19-lap sprint.

Behind polesitter Verstappen, Norris held off Oscar Piastri on the inside of COTA’s steep Turn 1, with Piastri cutting back towards the inside.

At that very moment Sauber’s surprise fourth-place qualifier Nico Hulkenberg moved up the inside of Piastri, with the pair making contact as Hulkenberg was sandwiched between the Australian and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

The contact flicked Piastri into team-mate Lando Norris, who was spun around as both McLaren’s suffered terminal damage. Alonso was also tagged by Hulkenberg and retired, while the Sauber man was forced to pit for a new front wing.

In the melee behind the incident, Alonso’s team-mate Lance Stroll also made contact with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto, forcing the pair to pit.

The copious amounts of debris and stricken cars across the length of the first sector brought out the safety car, which neutralised the first five laps.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing crash

Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

With both McLarens neatly out of the way, Verstappen controlled the lap 6 restart from Mercedes’ George Russell. Williams’ Carlos Sainz benefitted from the carnage to move up to third ahead of Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

The second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda was the biggest mover, spectacularly leaping from 18th on the grid to seventh, despite dragging along Hulkenberg’s front wing for several corners.

Verstappen’s pace up front, meanwhile, wasn’t particularly convincing as he struggled to shake off Russell. On lap 8 Russell attempted a very late lunge down the inside of Turn 12, forcing a perplexed Verstappen to take avoiding action while keeping his lead.

Russell’s challenge then faded, although Verstappen still voiced his displeasure with the rear suspension settings on his Red Bull, which will likely be revisited ahead of grand prix qualifying on COTA’s bumpy layout.

Hamilton passed team-mate Leclerc for fourth on lap 9, the only other position change in the top eight during a routine green flag spell of the 19-lap contest.

On lap 16 Stroll took out Haas’ Esteban Ocon with a desperately late lunge into Turn 1, taking both drivers out of the race, with the ensuing safety car further freezing positions.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team crash

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

Verstappen cruised across the line ahead of Russell and Sainz, followed by Hamilton and Leclerc. Alex Albon completed a successful morning for Willians in sixth ahead of Tsunoda.

Haas’ Oliver Bearman crossed the line ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the final point in eighth, but the Haas rookie went off the track to do so in an earlier incident and was handed a 10-second penalty to drop him to the rear of the order.

Verstappen now moves to 55 points off Piastri and 33 points behind Norris, with still six grands prix and two sprints to go.