The Sprint Race in Austin, Texas brought plenty of excitement and drama to this Saturday morning, as both McLarens collided, leaving Max Verstappen only to be challenged by George Russell in his Mercedes. The Brit did bring a fight, however when the 19 lap race was over, it was the four-time World Champion who prevailed. George Russell was close behind in second, and Carlos Sainz managed to secure his second podium of the season with Williams. Below are the highlights from the thrilling Sprint.
- Lap 1 Chaos as Piastri, Hulkenberg, and Norris Collide
- When the lights went out, Oscar Piastri was able to make an attempt at overtaking his teammate as they went through the first corners, however Norris was just starting to edge back out in front when Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg collided, sending the Aussie into the back of his teammate Lando’s McLaren. Norris was immediately out, and Piastri had to shortly after, which was an absolute nightmare for the Papaya team. Hulkenberg was able to continue, though he would later finish the race out of the points.
- Double DNF for Aston Martin, and Ocon Out as Well
- McLaren wasn’t the only team to suffer from a double DNF during the Sprint Race; Aston Martin also had a rough time. Fernando Alonso, having been caught up in the Lap 1 drama, was the first of the Astons to DNF. It wasn’t until later in the Sprint that Lance Stroll attempted to overtake Esteban Ocon, locked up, and slid right into the side of the Haas. Both drivers were consequentially out, and Stroll also got a five place grid penalty for causing a collision.
- Tsunoda’s Impressive Climb to the Points
- Yuki Tsunoda may have started way at the back of the grid in 18th when the Sprint Race began, but he certainly refused to stay there. The Japanese driver used the Lap 1 incident to his advantage, and weaved around the others to place his Red Bull in seventh place, where he managed to stay until the checkered flag. The result may have only delivered 2 points, but it still is essential to proving how worthy he is of the Red Bull seat.
- Ferrari Turning Around a Disappointing Qualifying
- More drivers who benefited from the multiple DNFs are Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who avoided the carnage to land in fifth and fourth, respectively. And the pair hadn’t been done giving fans a show, either, as the drivers delivered some brilliant on-track action that resulted in Hamilton overtaking to place his Ferrari in P4. While neither could make it onto the podium, the result is certainly better than their previous sessions went, and will give them some hope going to qualifying later today.
- Verstappen Eating Away the Points Deficit
- Sprint wins are worth significantly less than Grand Prix wins, but every little bit counts, especially if you still want to be in the Championship fight. Max Verstappen is still very much in it to win it, now only 55 points away from Championship leader Oscar Piastri, and still going strong. He may still have quite a bit to go, but no one can discount this four-time World Champion just yet, especially if tomorrow’s Grand Prix is as dramatic as today’s Sprint.
