Formula 1 News: Verstappen out duels Russell to win USGP Sprint Race

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen converted pole position into a commanding victory in the 2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint Race at Circuit of the Americas, fending off an early onslaught from George Russell before cruising to his 13th Sprint triumph in just 22 starts—a margin of dominance that leaves the field in the dust.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The drama ignited right at the lights-out: A multi-car pileup in Turn 1 saw Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg collide catastrophically, wiping out both McLaren challengers—Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri—in the process.

LAP 1/19

What a DRAMATIC start to this Sprint, with a first corner collision between the top-two in the championship! 😱#F1Sprint #USGP pic.twitter.com/eVRnFjzFuZ

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 18, 2025

As the safety car neutralized the field, Mercedes’ Russell, armed with DRS, launched a bold inside bid on Verstappen into Turn 12. Sensing disaster, the Red Bull ace wisely veered wide and off-track, dodging what could have been a race-ending spear from the Mercedes.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Verstappen dropped the hammer. What followed was a masterclass in pace, as he stretched a 2.5-second lead over Russell by three laps from the checkered flag—delivering a driving clinic that Russell won’t soon forget.

Fate, however, conspired for one final twist: On lap 13, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll lost control and plowed into Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, scattering debris and prompting a second safety car. With the wreckage too stubborn to clear in time, the Sprint concluded under yellow flags, handing Verstappen the maximum eight points while Norris and Piastri limped away empty-handed.

The championship plot thickened further. Piastri clings to the lead with 336 points, 22 clear of teammate Norris on 314, but Verstappen’s haul narrows the gap to 55—leaving the Dutchman firmly in the title hunt despite the McLaren duo’s misfortune with six GPs and two sprints remaining.

Reflecting post-race, Verstappen was measured but pointed: “The start was solid, but the safety car threw us off for a few laps—I need to dig into why our pace dipped there. Tomorrow’s the big one; we have to sharpen up in race trim to take the fight to McLaren. We’ve got some ideas brewing.”

Behind the top duo, Williams’ Carlos Sainz Jr. rounded out the podium in third, capitalizing on the early chaos. A relatively clean restart allowed Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to slice through the midfield. Leclerc held the edge until a rare lapse through the high-speed Esses on lap 8 exposed him to the seven-time champion, who pounced with a decisive move into Turn 12 a lap later for fourth.

Rounding out the points: Alex Albon fifth for Williams, RB’s Yuki Tsunoda in sixth, and Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli snagging the final point in eighth with a gritty drive.

The Sprint’s fireworks were all packed into that frantic opening lap, where questions linger over the Turn 1 tangle. Was Piastri’s late cutback too aggressive, or just cruel misfortune? Norris bore no blame, caught in the crossfire from behind, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown didn’t mince words: “This one’s squarely on Hulkenberg and Alonso—sloppy stuff that cost us dearly.” With the full Grand Prix looming Sunday, expect the recriminations to fuel fiercer battles ahead.

2025 USGP Sprint Race Results – 19 Laps