Verstappen Dominates Austin; McLaren Sprint Crash

Max Verstappen produced a dominant Austin weekend — taking poles in both sprint and feature qualifying and winning the sprint and Grand Prix — his third win in four races, cutting his championship deficit to Oscar Piastri to 40 points (down from 104). Red Bull’s recent upgrades, notably to the floor and front wing, and a boost in Verstappen’s confidence helped the car become competitive again across different track types. Lando Norris finished second after a late pass on Charles Leclerc, closing to within 14 points of team-mate Oscar Piastri with five grands prix and two sprints remaining. McLaren were badly hampered by a Turn 1 Sprint collision between Norris and Piastri that cost setup time, continuous-lap data and forced rushed repairs, undermining their main-qualifying and race competitiveness. McLaren have opened an internal review and face mounting intra-team tension despite Zak Brown’s “Papaya Rules,” while Andrea Stella insists the championship remains in their hands and analysts warn pressure could swing the title. The result has tightened the title fight and injected momentum into Verstappen’s bid for a fifth consecutive championship.