Both drivers were eliminated on the opening lap after contact through Turn 1, as Max Verstappen claimed victory at COTA.
McLaren endured a disastrous Sprint Race at the United States Grand Prix, as teammates and championship contenders Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided right at the start.
The incident followed tension from Singapore, where minor contact had left Norris responsible and facing undisclosed penalties. At COTA on Saturday, history seemed to repeat itself.
Entering Turn 1 side by side behind Max Verstappen, Norris kept the inside line, running slightly deep, while Piastri opted for the outside, looking to execute a switchback maneuver.
As Piastri attempted to cut back, he was struck by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, which launched his car into the side of Norris’ McLaren, spinning the second McLaren around.
Both Piastri and Norris sustained irreparable damage and were forced to retire, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso also caught in the chaos.
“That was terrible, neither of our drivers to blame there,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown told Sky Sports. “Some amateur hour driving. Clearly Nico drove into Oscar. He had no business being where he was.”
Race stewards reviewed the incident but decided no further action was required, classifying it as a racing incident.
“I just got hit, got taken out, so there wasn’t much I could do,” Norris explained. Piastri added, “We were both going quite deep into Turn 1, I tried to cut back, and then I got hit, so…”
