The Dutchman gains 8 points on Norris and Piastri. Russell and Sainz on the podium in a race that ended under the Safety Car regime
In Austin it’s SuperMax again: Verstappen wins the very lively Sprint Race of the United States GP after two Safety Cars and several accidents. Big shot from the Dutchman, who does nothing wrong and takes advantage of Oscar Piastri’s madness at the start, which puts both McLarens offside. George Russell tried to ruin his party, very fast in his Mercedes (nothing but an enemy of the heat) and second at the finish line. Carlos Sainz’s Williams was third: the Spaniard, who started sixth, did well to take advantage of the chaos at the start, thus grabbing the second podium with his new team. Behind the Spaniard the two Ferraris: Hamilton and Leclerc avoided the chaos at the start and risked contact with each other, finishing in fourth and fifth position.
MCLAREN MADNESS, FERRARI GOES BACK
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The dream continues. Verstappen also wins in Austin (he also won the last Sprint, in Belgium) and moves up the drivers’ rankings. The world champion made no mistakes right from the start and put pressure on McLaren: “An important victory guys!”. Between the two papayas it’s Wild West: at the start Piastri sinks the braking line, misses the trajectory and hits his roommate in the garage. A bad mistake by the Australian which also puts the innocent Hulkenberg’s Sauber and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin offside. Ferrari took advantage of the chaos at the start: Hamilton was fourth, followed by his teammate Leclerc. The Monegasque took a risk, making an error in the first sector – the most guided – after having moved up the rankings with a super slalom at the start. Hamilton then takes it off, closing behind a fantastic Sainz. Russell was also fast, second with a reborn Mercedes after the updates in Singapore: “No miracle, just hard work”, assures Wolff. The Englishman also tried to attack Verstappen, risking hitting the winner’s Red Bull after over braking.
THE DEPARTURE, OUTSIDE THE MCLAREN
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Ready to go and it’s immediate chaos: behind poleman Verstappen the McLarens cause a big mess. Piastri joins Norris in turn one, closes the line and hits the Sauber of the innocent Hulkenberg, then bouncing off his teammate’s car. Result: both papayas out and Safety Car on track. The two Ferraris took advantage of this, with Leclerc author of a slalom worthy of the best Tomba which put him in fourth followed by Hamilton in fifth. Also very good were Sainz, who from sixth place found himself in third, and Tsunoda, able to take advantage of the funnel in turn one to move up to seventh.
VERSTAPPEN-RUSSELL FIGHT
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Verstappen’s restart was exceptional, but he was unable to escape Russell’s very fast Mercedes. The Englishman – fresh from his renewal – doesn’t give up on the Dutchman and attacks him on lap eight. The two risk contact, with the world champion forced off the track after an exaggerated braking of the Mercedes n. 63. Duel also between the two Ferraris, with Hamilton managing to overtake Leclerc on lap nine after an error by the Monegasque in the first sector, who apologizes to the team via radio. The Safety Car then returns to the track at the end, after contact between Stroll’s Aston Martin and Ocon’s Haas. The neutralization lasts until the checkered flag, which rewards Verstappen’s Red Bull, winner ahead of Russell and Sainz.
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