AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Red Bull's Max Verstappen cruised to an easy victory Saturday in a crash-filled United States Grand Prix sprint race that saw McLaren teammates and championship leaders Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris both knocked out in the first turn when their cars collided.
The loss of both McLaren cars early that could have a huge impact on the season championship as McLaren mechanics now face the challenge of fixing both cars before qualifying for the main event.
Verstappen started Saturday’s sprint on pole with Norris second and Piastri third. Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg tried to make a dive under Piastri into the first corner and instead bumped cars and sent Piastri crashing into Norris.
Norris’ car spun and bounced, and a rear wheel was knocked off. Piastri’s car suffered suspension damage.
A late-race crash between Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Haas driver Esteban Ocon forced the 19-lap event to finish behind a safety car.
The result allows Verstappen, who is making a late-season charge at a possible fifth consecutive Formula 1 championship, to pull within 55 points of leader Piastri with six grand prix and two more sprint races on the season.
Because both McLarens were taken out of the race, Piastri maintains his 22-point lead over Norris. Both drivers are chasing their first season championship.
It was the second straight race with contact between the two McLarens. They nearly crashed in Singapore when Norris bumped tires with Piastri on the opening lap.
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