F1 US GP: Max Verstappen wins sprint race, Lando…

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.

Photos from United States GP - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

F1 US GP - Sprint race results

1 - 2
Cla	Driver	#	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Pits	Points	Retirement	Chassis	Engine
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1	19	-				8		Red Bull	Red Bull
2	G. Russell Mercedes	63	19	+0.395 0.395	0.395			7		Mercedes	Mercedes
3	C. Sainz Williams	55	19	+0.791 0.791	0.396			6		Williams	Mercedes
4	L. Hamilton Ferrari	44	19	+1.224 1.224	0.433			5		Ferrari	Ferrari
5	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16	19	+1.825 1.825	0.601			4		Ferrari	Ferrari
6	A. Albon Williams	23	19	+2.576 2.576	0.751			3		Williams	Mercedes
7	Y. Tsunoda Red Bull Racing	22	19	+2.976 2.976	0.400			2		Red Bull	Red Bull
8	A. Antonelli Mercedes	12	19	+4.147 4.147	1.171			1		Mercedes	Mercedes
9	L. Lawson Racing Bulls	30	19	+4.804 4.804	0.657					RB	Honda
10	P. Gasly Alpine	10	19	+5.126 5.126	0.322					Alpine	Renault
11	G. Bortoleto Sauber	5	19	+5.649 5.649	0.523					Sauber	Ferrari
12	I. Hadjar Racing Bulls	6	19	+6.228 6.228	0.579					RB	Honda
13	N. Hulkenberg Sauber	27	19	+6.624 6.624	0.396		1			Sauber	Ferrari
14	F. Colapinto Alpine	43	19	+8.006 8.006	1.382		1			Alpine	Renault
15	O. Bearman Haas F1 Team	87	19	+13.576 13.576	5.570					Haas	Ferrari
dnf	E. Ocon Haas F1 Team	31	15	4 laps					Collision	Haas	Ferrari
dnf	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18	15	4 laps			1		Collision	Aston Martin	Mercedes
dnf	O. Piastri McLaren	81	0						Collision	McLaren	Mercedes
dnf	L. Norris McLaren	4	0						Collision	McLaren	Mercedes
dnf	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14	0						Collision	Aston Martin	Mercedes
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