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Max Verstappen navigated his Red Bull to triumph in a thrilling sprint race at the United States Grand Prix, significantly advancing his quest for the championship.
Beginning from the pole, the Dutch driver secured his second consecutive sprint victory of the season and his 13th overall. He crossed the finish line just 0.395 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, following a safety car deployment due to Lance Stroll’s collision with Esteban Ocon on the 16th of the 19 laps.
In stark contrast, Verstappen’s main title competitors, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, endured a disastrous start to their weekend. Both McLaren drivers, who began the sprint in second and third positions, were eliminated on the initial lap.
The incident unfolded when Nico Hulkenberg’s Kick Sauber clipped Piastri at Turn 1, causing the Australian to collide with his teammate, thereby prematurely ending the sprint for both contenders.
This unfortunate series of events for McLaren provided Verstappen with a prime chance to close in on the championship standings. He now trails leader Piastri by 55 points and is 33 points behind second-place Norris, with six races and two sprints still on the calendar.
Carlos Sainz delivered an impressive performance to secure third place for Williams, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the top five finishers.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 18: Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren collide at turn one during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 18, 2025 in Austin, United States. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images)
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Carlos Sainz put his Williams in a stunning third, with Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc rounding out the top five.
Further down, Alexander Albon claimed sixth place ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, while Kimi Antonelli managed to secure the last point available for the top eight finishers in his Mercedes.
Liam Lawson missed out on the points, finishing in ninth for Racing Bulls ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
Nico Hulkenberg, who had an impressive fourth-place start, ended the sprint in a lowly 13th after the collision with the McLarens on the opening lap.
2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint Results
Here are the sprint race results at the Circuit of the Americas:
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- George Russell (Mercedes): +0.395
- Carlos Sainz (Williams): +0.791
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): +1.224
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +1.825
- Alexander Albon (Williams): +2.576
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull Racing): +2.976
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): +4.147
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls): +4.804
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine): +5.126
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber): +5.649
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls): +6.228
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber): +6.624
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine): +8.006
- Oliver Bearman (Haas): +13.576
DNF
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
