Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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2025 F1 United States GP Sprint Race LIVE: Verstappen wins after McLaren double DNF

Full live text commentary for the F1 United States Grand Prix Sprint at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas

Full live text commentary for the F1 United States Grand Prix Sprint at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas

18 Oct 2025
19:20
McLaren blame rivals for Turn 1 chaos

McLaren have hit out at “amateur-hour driving” from their F1 rivals after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were taken out of the United States Grand Prix sprint race.

"That was terrible. Neither of our drivers to blame there," McLaren Racing CEO Brown told Sky Sports F1.

"That's some amateur-hour driving by some drivers up there at the front, [they] wacked out two guys.

"I want to see the replay again but clearly Nico Hulkenberg drove into Oscar and he had no business being where he was, he went into his left-rear tyre." 

Norris said there was "not a lot I could have done" to avoid the incident, while Piastri described it as “not a great way to start the day”.

Piastri and Norris collide
Piastri and Norris collide
18:58
2025 US GP Sprint Race - Full Results

2025 US GP F1 Sprint Race results:

2025 F1 United States Grand Prix - Sprint Race Results
PosDriverNat.TeamLaps
1Max VerstappenNEDOracle Red Bull Racing19 Laps
2George RussellGBRMercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team+0.395s
3Carlos SainzESPAtlassian Williams Racing+0.791s
4Lewis HamiltonGBRScuderia Ferrari HP+1.224s
5Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari HP+1.825s
6Alex AlbonTHAAtlassian Williams Racing+2.576s
7Yuki TsunodaJPNOracle Red Bull Racing+2.976s
8Kimi AntonelliITAMercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team+4.147s
9Liam LawsonNZLVisa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team+4.804s
10Pierre GaslyFRABWT Alpine F1 Team+5.126s
11Gabriel BortoletoBRAStake F1 Team Kick Sauber+5.649s
12Isack HadjarFRAVisa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team+6.228s
13Nico HulkenbergGERStake F1 Team Kick Sauber+6.624s
14Franco ColapintoARGBWT Alpine F1 Team+8.006s
15Oliver BearmanGBRMoneyGram Haas F1 Team+13.576s
 Lance StrollCANAston Martin Aramco F1 TeamDNF
 Esteban OconFRAMoneyGram Haas F1 TeamDNF
 Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren F1 TeamDNF
 Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin Aramco F1 TeamDNF
 Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 TeamDNF
18:55
Qualifying kicks off at 22.00 UK

The Sprint Race is done and now it's a quick reset to turn attention to qualifying at 22.00 UK

All eyes on McLaren to see if it can bounce back from an awful start to the day.

At least Zak Brown can perhaps breathe a sigh of relief that it was broadly just an unfortunate chain reaction rather than the boiling over of any feud.

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18:52
Well, Carlos Sainz is popular

A long - very long - cheer from the crowd (with plenty of screams from the female contingent) for Carlos Sainz for his run to third place

He doesn't believe he is doing anything differently to the start of the season, despite a real upturn in results during the second half of the year

"Nothing. We are just getting a little more lucky and things stopped happening for us. Things are running a lot smoother - I'm doing the same thing as the first half of the season, but things are now clicking"

Second top three finish of the season for Sainz and Williams

18:50
Russell talks lunge on Verstappen

"I knew you don't get many opportunities with Max, so I took my chance. I'm glad I gave it a go, P2 is better than expected."

18:50
"We need to be better in race trim" - Verstappen

"Took a few laps after the safety car to have decent pace, we need to work out what is going on there. We won the Sprint though, that's most important. We need to be better in race trim.

"We'll have a look (at the rear) and then hopefully it will stick better tomorrow"

 

 

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18:48
Shout out to Tsunoda

A great outcome for Yuki Tsunoda, who finishes seventh for two points - some 11 places higher than he qualified.

His result is even more remarkable considering he ran right over Hulkenberg's front-wing in the Turn 1 chaos, only shaking it free further around the lap.

18:46
US GP Sprint Race - Top 8

Your point scorers

1- Max Verstappen

2- George Russell

3- Carlos Sainz

4- Lewis Hamilton

5- Charles Leclerc

6- Alex Albon

7- Yuki Tsunoda

8- Kimi Antonelli

18:44
Russell and Sainz complete top three

George Russell and Carlos Sainz bolster their points tallies in a fine second and third.

It's a significant result for Sainz too - those six points move him from 12th to 10th in the overall standings ahead of Hulkenberg and Alonso, while he is just a point adrift of ninth place Hadjar too.

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18:42
CHEQUERED FLAG - Max Verstappen wins

Max Verstappen wins the 2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint Race

18:41
19/19 - Verstappen reduces title lead

A disastrous race for McLaren, BUT it could have been worse - after all, it's only an 8 point swing in Verstappen's favour.

So Piastri still leads Norris by 22 points, but Verstappen is now 55 points adrift of the Aussie

18:40
19/19 - Final lap begins under safety car

The safety car stays out for the final lap, so this is how we'll finish (albeit with Bearman copping a 10 second penalty)

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18:39
18/19 - Time penalty for Bearman

Stewards have spoken and Oliver Bearman has a 10 second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in his battle with Antonelli.

Harsh decision given the current safety car conditions because a post-race penalty will leave him plum last - a shame given the eight positions he'd gained on his grid slot

18:38
L18/19 - A one lap sprint to the flag?

Ocon's car has been retrieved and this is a long lap... so could we go back racing on lap 19 of 19? 

18:37
17/19 - No lunchtime for McLaren and Aston

It's going to be a busy few hours for the guys and girls down at McLaren and Aston Martin as they battle to repair all of their cars in time for qualifying after a bruising Sprint Race 

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18:35
16/19 Ocon and Stroll collide - safety car

The safety car is out after Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll come together at Turn 1

Stroll comes from a (very) long way back and then locks up, sending him tobogganing into the Haas

Ocon's car is stranded right on the exit of Turn 1 with three wheels on his wagon. Stroll has stopped further around the lap, completing as double DNF for Aston Martin

With three laps to go and safety car out, this could be the end of the race

18:33
15/19 - Rookies at war for one point

Kimi Antonelli is putting significant pressure on Oliver Bearman for the eighth and final point.

Some dogged defence from Bearman to repel Antonelli's dive into Turn 16, but might be some question marks over whether he did so while off track.

Stewards will be expecting a call from Mercedes no doubt

18:30
14/19 - Verstappen in cruise mode

Max Verstappen has hitched up his overalls and is getting on with it after that scare from Russell earlier - the defending champion is now 2.2secs up the road on the Mercedes

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18:27
12/19 - A boost for Williams incoming

Carlos Sainz is quietly holding down third place after avoiding the Turn 1 melee - the Spaniard is just over a second clear of a charging Hamilton.

As it stands, it'll be a positive day for Williams with Alex Albon also inside the points in sixth

18:25
11/19 - Top 8

1- Verstappen

2- Russell

3- Sainz

4- Hamilton

5- Leclerc

6- Albon

7- Tsunoda

8- Bearman

18:24
10/19 - No further investigation for Russell

A quick resolution - no action for Russell

Crack on, boys!

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18:24
10/19 - Russell under investigation

Stewards are looking into whether Russell's lunge sent Verstappen off the track unlawfully, even though they didn't ultimately swap positions...

18:23
9/19 - Hamilton squeezes past Leclerc

Hamilton gets one up on Leclerc with a big pass into the hairpin to grab fourth place

18:22
8/19 - Russell, Verstappen go wheel to wheel

George Russell sends it up the inside of Verstappen at the end of the home straight from a long way back, but it's a wild attempt that sends both way out wide

Verstappen pins the throttle on the run-off and stays ahead of Russell, who after locking up is also scrambling off the run-off

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18:20
7/19 - Russell keeping Verstappen honest

Russell is clinging onto Verstappen to remain within DRS range but it's getting marginal - both have moved more than two seconds clear of Sainz, who has Leclerc on his tail

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