McLaren's championship campaign suffered a devastating blow when both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri crashed out of the United States Grand Prix Sprint race on the opening lap. Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber collided with Piastri at the first corner, causing the Australian to spin directly into his teammate.
Norris was immediately eliminated due to severe damage to his car. Piastri initially continued but soon reported suspension damage and was forced to retire.
McLaren boss delivers scathing verdict
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown delivered a furious response to the collision, placing full blame on Hulkenberg. "That was terrible," Brown told Sky Sports moments after the crash. "Neither of our drivers were to blame there."
Brown described the incident as "amateur hour driving" and criticised Hulkenberg's positioning. "Clearly, Nico drove into Oscar and he had no business being where he was and went into his left-rear tyre," he said.
According to BBC analysis, Piastri's left rear wheel caught Hulkenberg's right front, launching the McLaren airborne before bouncing into Norris. The incident occurred at Circuit of the Americas' challenging first corner, where the uphill entry creates difficult racing conditions.
Championship implications mount
Max Verstappen capitalised on McLaren's misfortune by winning the sprint race and collecting eight valuable championship points. The Guardian reports Verstappen's championship deficit was reduced to 55 points behind Piastri and 25 behind Norris after his sprint victory.
The crash comes during a weekend already focused on McLaren's team management following their recent Singapore incident and "consequences" policy for driver behaviour. The team leads the constructors' championship but cannot afford further setbacks with limited races remaining.
The collision highlights the ongoing pressure McLaren faces in balancing their championship aspirations while managing both drivers' title ambitions.
Sources used: "Mirror", "BBC", "Guardian" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
