Verstappen snags Sprint pole, McLaren DNF in Austin crash

When Max Verstappen, Driver of Oracle Red Bull Racing roared to the front of the grid on Friday, October 17, 2025, the atmosphere at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) shifted from tense anticipation to outright excitement. The Dutchman edged out British rival Lando Norris, Driver of McLaren Formula 1 Team by a whisker in the final lap of Sprint Qualifying Session 3, earning his tenth career Sprint pole.

Sprint Qualifying drama at COTA

The three‑stage qualifying format – 12‑minute SQ1, 10‑minute SQ2 and an eight‑minute sprint showdown in SQ3 – left no room for error. Norris dominated the opening two phases, posting the fastest times in both SQ1 and SQ2 and seemingly set to take pole. Yet Verstappen, fresh off a flawless practice run, found a few extra metres per second on the exit of the final corner complex (Turns 19‑20). The official video analysis, titled “GHOST CAR: How Verstappen beat Norris to Sprint pole position in Austin,” broke down the lap: 1 minute 34.123 seconds for Verstappen versus 1 minute 34.234 seconds for Norris – a razor‑thin 0.111‑second advantage.

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after the session, "Max delivered a perfect lap in SQ3. We knew we had the pace; the car just clicked at the right moment." Meanwhile, McLaren’s Andrea Stella, Team Principal, admitted, "Lando was superb in the early phases, but Max’s final lap was simply better."

Lap 1 crash wipes out McLaren

The Sprint race itself began at 14:00 CDT on Saturday, October 18, 2025, under clear skies and a blistering 32 °C ambient temperature. All 20 cars were on Pirelli medium compounds when the tyre blankets were pulled away, a routine but crucial step that set the stage for what became a chaotic opening lap.

At Turn 1, German veteran Nico Hulkenberg, Driver in the Kick Sauber F1 Team mis‑judged his braking point. His car clipped the rear of Australian teammate Oscar Piastri, who spun into the path of his own team‑mate Norris. The impact sent both McLarens into the gravel, ending their sprint race on the very first lap. A stunned Norris, who had entered the weekend leading the Drivers’ Championship with 305 points, walked away unharmed but with zero points from the sprint.

FIA stewards, headed by former racer Herbie Blash, issued a post‑race statement at 16:30 CDT confirming Hulkenberg as the primary cause of the collision. The German received a five‑place grid penalty for the main Grand Prix on Sunday. In a brief press conference, McLaren CEO Zak Brown summed it up, "We are extremely disappointed. Both drivers were in strong positions; racing is unpredictable, but today it didn’t go our way."

Verstappen secures Sprint win and points

With the McLarens out, Verstappen enjoyed a relatively clean run. He led from start to finish, clocking a winning time of 23 minutes 12 seconds and pocketing eight championship points. Those points cut Norris’s 7‑point lead to a mere 2 points with five races left in the 24‑round season.

• Winner: Max Verstappen (Oracle Red Bull Racing)
• Second: Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
• Third: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• Points awarded: 8 to Verstappen, none to Norris or Piastri
• Grid penalty: Hulkenberg – five places for Sunday’s Grand Prix

Championship implications

The sprint outcome reshaped the Drivers’ Championship landscape dramatically. Before COTA, Norris sat atop the standings with 305 points, Verstappen close behind at 298, and Piastri on 280. After the sprint, Verstappen’s haul nudged him to 306 points, leaving Norris with 305 – a razor‑thin 1‑point gap, not the 7‑point cushion many expected.

Analysts at Motorsport.com noted, "Austin has become the turning point of the 2025 title fight. The collision not only damaged McLaren’s points haul but also gave Red Bull a psychological edge heading into the final stretch." The next five events – Mexico, Brazil, Qatar, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi – now hold even greater weight, with only 125 points still up for grabs.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix

Saturday’s drama set the grid for the main United States Grand Prix on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 14:00 CDT. Norris, having rebounded in the standard qualifying session, secured pole for the 56‑lap race. Verstappen will line up second, giving Red Bull a front‑row start despite the earlier penalty for Hulkenberg.

Christian Horner remains optimistic: "We know the car’s fast, and Max is in a great rhythm. The penalty hurts, but we have a solid plan for the race." Meanwhile, Stella urged his squad to stay focused, "We’ve got to maximize every lap. The championship is still within reach if we can avoid another incident."

Background on COTA and Sprint format

Opened in 2012 and designed by Hermann Tilke, Circuit of the Americas has become a staple of the F1 calendar, noted for its 20‑turn layout, a 1,158‑metre long straight, and elevation changes of up to 116 feet. The venue missed the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to the COVID‑19 pandemic but has hosted every United States Grand Prix since 2012.

The Sprint weekend, introduced in 2021, adds a short, 19‑lap race that awards points to the top three finishers and determines the starting order for the main Grand Prix. In 2025, COTA marks the fifth Sprint weekend of the season, following events in China, Miami, Austria, and preceding Brazil.