TENSION AT MCLAREN: TEAM BOSS SLAMS COSTLY PIASTRI–NORRIS COLLISION
McLaren boss Zak Brown slammed "amateur" driving after a first-corner crash wiped out both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the US GP Sprint, blaming Nico Hülkenberg for the collision.
Following a costly incident that eliminated both of his drivers, including Australian Oscar Piastri, at the US Grand Prix, McLaren manager Zak Brown has gone into overdrive.
At the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, the sprint race began with chaos on the first corner.
Oscar Piastri's McLaren was struck by Nico Hülkenberg, which caused the Australian to slide off the track.
After that, Piastri's vehicle collided with teammate Lando Norris, seriously damaging both McLarens.
Due to his car's inability to continue, Norris was forced to retire right away. Piastri was unable to rejoin and hobbled back to the pits.
Shortly after the start, the incident forced both McLarens out of the sprint.
Both McLaren drivers were eliminated during the ruckus at the first turn of the USGP Sprint race.
Oscar Piastri, an Australian driver, was one of the drivers eliminated. He then collided with teammate Lando Norris.
The crash was reported as a racing event by race control, and no sanctions were imposed.
The event infuriated team manager Zak Brown, who placed the full blame on Hülkenberg.
"That was awful." "There, neither of our drivers is at fault," Brown stated.
"Those drivers up there in the front are driving like amateurs; they hit two men."
"I would like to see the replay again, but it is obvious that Nico Hulkenberg struck Oscar, who had no business there, and he ran into his left rear tyre."
"I hope it is very easy to fix, as it appears to have only included suspension damage."
Andrea Stella, the principal of the McLaren team, also scolded Hulkenberg.
He stated, "Oddly, some experienced drivers do not act more credibly—go to the first corner, make sure you do not hurt competitors, and then carry on."
Zak Brown, the manager of McLaren, had a negative opinion of the event and accused German driver Nico Hulkenberg of being responsible for the collision.
Norris attempted to rejoin the race, but his McLaren sustained too much damage, and he was ejected.
Overall, we are disappointed, but we accept it. There is a lot to do, so we will concentrate on fixing the cars.
After that, we shall start the weekend over. When it comes to competitiveness, we are in a solid position. We hope that we will be able to race regularly and benefit from our performance.
But after the crash, Piastri was more composed.
"It is a shame," he remarked, "because I tried to cut back on Lando—we were both so far from the apex and then got struck, and he obviously sent me into Lando."
Norris, his rival teammate, also accused Hulkenberg of being the cause of the collision.
The 25-year-old remarked, "I mean, what was I meant to do in that—I just got whacked."
I did not do anything improper. Things happened further back, and I simply got unfortunate and got whacked as a result.
"I need to take a closer look. I am not sure." We are the result of more individuals in the past being a little irresponsible.
Everyone at McLaren has criticised Hulkenberg for his actions that led to the incident, yet the race stewards did not punish him.
The latest altercation between the rival drivers could endanger their hopes of winning the Formula One championship.
Late in the race, Norris tried to pass Piastri at the Canadian Grand Prix, but he crashed into his teammate's vehicle and had to retire. Despite his injuries, Piastri persisted and increased his championship lead.
Norris apologised to Piastri and the team for his mistakes.
McLaren reaffirmed the internal team policy of no touch between colleagues and called the incident "not acceptable".
Norris then attempted an aggressive move at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix that caused contact with Piastri and included a third driver.
Piastri was upset and sent some scathing radio messages, and team management mentioned that Norris might face "repercussions."repercussions".
Sprint winner Verstappen has reduced the gap to 55 points in third place, while Piastri leads the Drivers' Championship with 336 points, followed by Norris, 22 points in second.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
