Overview

• Verstappen topped the Sprint and qualifying at COTA; Norris starts second and Piastri sixth for McLaren.
• Race control classified the Sprint Turn‑1 collision that eliminated both McLarens as a racing incident after McLaren’s Zak Brown criticized rival driving and singled out Nico Hülkenberg, who said he was boxed in.
• McLaren says the double DNF cost vital long‑run data on a one‑practice Sprint weekend, pushing the team toward conservative ride‑height and setup choices on Austin’s bumpy surface.
• Teams and analysts point to Red Bull’s recent underfloor/aero step, with Verstappen finishing ahead of both McLarens in four straight Sprint/GP outings to reduce the gaps to 55 points to Piastri and 33 to Norris.
• Qualifying set a mixed grid behind Verstappen and Norris with Leclerc P3, Russell P4 and Hamilton P5, as McLaren mechanics completed overnight repairs and gearbox changes to get both cars back out.