Verstappen closing in as McLaren stumble in Austin

Max Verstappen continued his late-season charge in Austin, capitalising on McLaren’s disastrous sprint race double retirement to tighten the championship picture ahead of Sunday’s grand prix.

Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were wiped out at the first corner after a chain reaction involving Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso. McLaren chiefs Zak Brown and Andrea Stella initially pointed the finger at the Sauber driver, labelling him “amateurish”, before later retracting their criticism.

“The McLarens may have forgotten that there were other cars in the race,” Hulkenberg told Canal Plus. Piastri’s manager Mark Webber backed the stewards’ decision not to penalise anyone.

“Alonso was on the inside, Nico reacted to avoid colliding with him, and Oscar positioned himself to pass Lando on the inside,” Webber said. “He was ahead of the others, so he had the right to do that. For me, there’s no primary culprit, just a typical start accident.”

The incident left McLaren empty-handed as Verstappen dominated the sprint. Piastri’s form slump, meanwhile, has raised eyebrows.

“Norris is in a good position,” Sky Deutschland analyst Timo Glock said after qualifying for the main race. “But the question is, what’s going on with Oscar Piastri? The gap between the two McLarens is suddenly so large.

“He’s consistently too slow throughout the lap, either he doesn’t feel the tyres and the car, or it’s the mental situation. The one taking advantage is Max Verstappen. It looks like things are going the wrong way at McLaren.”

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko said the team’s momentum must now be maintained. “We have to keep winning now,” he said. “There are still a few races with exciting first corners. We have nothing to lose. You can see that Piastri is making mistakes, good! Let’s see how the incident dented McLaren’s confidence. Max is going from one high to the next.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said Verstappen’s surge is forcing McLaren into uncomfortable territory. “Things are getting hairy now,” he commented. “Max is coming closer and closer. At some point, McLaren will have to make a decision regarding a number one driver.”

Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa believes Verstappen’s mindset gives him a clear edge. “He has nothing to lose,” De la Rosa told DAZN. “There’s nothing better than mentally seeing yourself out and then starting to see the carrot again. There are still a lot of points to be won, and the trend is toward a comeback.”

Marko said Red Bull’s internal target for the Austin weekend was “15 points” gained in the title race. “The gap is still 55 points,” he noted, “but it looks like it could work out.”

Verstappen himself remains measured. “It’s not about believing in it,” he told reporters. “I just take it race by race. Today was perfect for me, brings me a bit closer for sure, which is nice for everyone, maybe not for them,” he grinned.

“But I wasn’t entirely happy with the pace in the race. If we want to win tomorrow, we need to be better. That’s what I’ll focus on.”