Here’s a look at what you may have missed from the Formula 1 US Grand Prix that was dominated by Max Verstappen.
Alpine finds itself embroiled in a minor scandal over 17th place, American Jak Crawford earns an Aston Martin practice outing, and Nico Hulkenberg receives a formal apology from McLaren. Autoweek rounds up the weekend’s other key talking points from the US Grand Prix.
Alpine has fallout over 17th place
This season has been tough for Alpine. With the A525 barely upgraded due to the team’s full focus on 2026, Alpine has slipped down the grid, collecting just 20 points—well behind rival Haas, which sits on 48.
Points were always unlikely at COTA, but a slow pit stop for Pierre Gasly left him stuck in traffic, chased by teammate Franco Colapinto and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto during the closing laps, all while Max Verstappen pulled away at the front.
The team instructed the drivers to hold position, yet Colapinto, on fresher tires, surged into Turn 1 to take 17th from Gasly, who was soon overtaken by Bortoleto.
“We instructed both drivers to maintain position while managing fuel, with leaders nearby and laps winding down,” Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen said. “As a team, pit wall decisions are final. Today, that didn’t happen, and we’re reviewing it internally.”
Colapinto argued that overtaking Gasly prevented both Alpines from being passed by Bortoleto. “Gabi was faster than us, and moving ahead seemed best to avoid losing both cars,” he explained.
Gasly, enduring a tough six-race spell with a best finish of 16th, voiced his frustration. “Pit wall instructions are final, and today it didn’t happen. This stays inside the team. Ultimately, we’re just too slow. I’ve done my part, and I focus on performance more than disputes.”
Crawford to make F1 practice debut
Aston Martin’s American prospect Jak Crawford will take part in his first Formula 1 practice session at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Currently second in the 2025 Formula 2 championship, Crawford has gained extensive track time in older-spec Aston Martin cars during private tests and simulator work.
Teams are required to run a young driver in four practice sessions this season, and Crawford will take the wheel of Lance Stroll’s AMR25 on Friday in Mexico City—the very track where he first raced a single-seater in F4 at age 13.
“I’m thrilled to drive the AMR25 for my first official F1 session,” Crawford said. “I’ve worked closely with the team all year, so this is an exciting next step to get on track for a Grand Prix weekend.”
While Crawford has been with Aston Martin for several years, a 2026 race seat remains out of reach due to commitments to Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
“I can’t comment on 2026. We’ve focused on one F1 opportunity after multiple offers, and that’s all I can say,” he added.
Other teams are using Mexico City to fulfill their “young driver” obligations, with Arvid Lindblad for Red Bull, Pato O’Ward for McLaren, Luke Browning for Williams, and Ryo Hirakawa for Haas.
Andretti gets Turn 20 at COTA
COTA’s final corner, Turn 20, has been named the Andretti in honor of 1978 F1 World Champion Mario Andretti. A ceremony on Thursday featured COTA boss Bobby Epstein presenting Andretti with a mural and a piece of original tarmac.
Andretti was the first to lap the then-unpaved COTA in 2012. As he rounded the final corner, he glimpsed the uphill run to Turn 1 and declared, “This will become America’s Taj Mahal of Racing.” A bold—and largely accurate—prediction.
FIA confirms PU help for 2026
The FIA will introduce mechanisms in 2026 to aid any power unit manufacturer struggling under the new rules. With major engine revisions coming next season, concerns over performance gaps have been high.
The World Motor Sport Council confirmed measures to give underperforming manufacturers more development opportunities, including potential changes to power unit homologation, cost cap relief, and additional test bench hours. These will be reviewed after races six, 12, and 18.
F1 currently “a race to Turn 1”
Mercedes driver George Russell says 2025 F1 races are increasingly “a race to Turn 1.” Of 19 grands prix this season, 16 were won by the driver leading after the first corners, with the exceptions being Miami, Britain, and Hungary.
In Singapore, the front runners held position after the opening lap, and in Austin, the only top-six change was the second-place battle between Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, who were on different strategies.
“Qualifying is crucial now,” Russell said. “With minimal tire degradation, the top six are separated by maybe two or three tenths, and you need at least half a second to overtake. That’s why we see so few passes. A two-stop race is almost unheard of.”
Pirelli, F1’s sole tire supplier, provided C1, C3, and C4 compounds for Austin, but teams mainly used Medium and Soft tires due to cooler conditions and track evolution. Russell highlighted the difficult balance Pirelli faces:
“Fans complain when there’s high degradation, saying it’s not real racing, and they complain when there’s low degradation, saying it’s boring. Ideally, a Soft tire lasts 12 laps, Medium 15, Hard 20, then drops off—a simple idea, hard to execute.”
Hulkenberg gets an apology
McLaren’s Zak Brown apologized to Nico Hulkenberg after initially blaming him for the Sprint Race clash that eliminated both McLarens at Turn 1. Brown had called it “amateur hour” immediately after the incident, but later retracted.
“Zak personally apologized to Nico quickly after the race,” said Sauber Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley. “Emotions run high in racing, and people react in the moment. We sorted it out afterward.”
The incident cost Hulkenberg potential points, but he recovered from 11th in qualifying to finish eighth, securing his first points since his Silverstone podium.
“An incredible weekend for Nico,” Wheatley said. “He was flawless from FP1 onwards. You can’t help but wonder what points we’d have gained in the Sprint without that clash. He drove a perfect race.”
With these moments from COTA, the US Grand Prix offered drama both on and off track, showing the highs, lows, and unpredictable nature of modern Formula 1.
