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.
GEORGE RUSSELL ADMITS ANTONELLI IS "EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK" BUT REFUSES TO CONCEDE TITLE
Kimi Antonelli secured his 3rd straight F1 win in Miami, leaving George Russell 43 seconds behind and 20 points down in the title race. (130 chars)
George Russell isn’t flinching. He’s not ready to let go of the story, even as Kimi Antonelli keeps grabbing headlines. Antonelli’s been tearing it up this season – three straight wins, all from pole – and it’s got people talking. Miami was rough for Russell; he finished fourth, over 43 seconds behind Antonelli. That gap isn’t just big; it’s glaring, and it’s putting some real heat on their rivalry at Mercedes.
Russell isn’t pretending things are fine, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. He gets what Antonelli’s doing and gives props where they’re deserved. “He’s a fantastic driver, and he’s been fast since day one,” Russell said. “You don’t win all those championships as a kid if you’re not quick.” He means it, but he’s also drawing a boundary. Russell still believes in himself, and he’s not giving up on the championship.
“I’ve still got confidence in myself, and I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said with a little smile. “It’s just a tricky patch, but we’re only four races in; there’s a lot more to come. We’ll sort things out over the next few weeks.”
That “tricky patch” doesn’t just mean some tough luck; it includes a 20-point deficit and a teammate who won’t stop rewriting history. Antonelli’s winning streak has changed the vibe at Mercedes, at least for now.
Russell knows all about momentum and how it doesn’t always stick around. “He’s got momentum right now; he’s flying,” Russell admitted. “But I’ve won championships myself, and I know momentum swings back and forth all year.” He actually doesn’t seem bothered by the points gap. “Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.
It’s a calm answer from a guy who’s been here before, leaning on experience while Antonelli rides his hot streak. Russell keeps saying 'big picture, patience, not panic'.
“I just want to get back on top of the podium,” he said. “I had the pace for the first three races, but this weekend I was nowhere close. It could have gone very differently these last few weeks, and this weekend could’ve just been a blip. But some races in Japan and China didn’t go my way. That’s how F1 goes sometimes.”
Still, confidence doesn’t erase a 20-point gap, not if Antonelli keeps cruising. If Antonelli keeps piling up wins, Russell’s going to have to fight more than just the stopwatch. Losing to your teammate over and over starts to mess with your head. Russell began the season as the guy to beat, but the longer this keeps up, the tougher it gets to grab hold of the story again.
He’s holding firm, for now. But F1 doesn’t wait for anyone. What does Russell call “just a tricky run”? Well, if momentum doesn’t swing his way soon, it could become a whole lot more than that.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES FRONT ROW IN MIAMI AS RED BULL UPGRADES DELIVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at Red Bull's pace after Max Verstappen finished P2, just 0.166s behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc expected Red Bull to bounce back, but he couldn’t help admiring Max Verstappen’s raw speed at the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull rolled into Miami with a big upgrade, looking to recover after a rough start to the season. Verstappen, a four-time world champ, landed his Red Bull in second during qualifying. He was only 0.166 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, nearly snatching pole. After qualifying, Verstappen said he finally feels like he’s back in control of his car.
Leclerc was impressed by the turnaround. “Honestly, it’s not shocking to see Kimi up there. Mercedes has been the quickest team this year, and Kimi’s been amazing these last few races,” Leclerc said. “But Max and Red Bull are coming back like this? That’s a bit more surprising. The upgrades clearly worked, and you can’t forget how strong that team really is. You never expect them to just sit back and accept a slow start.”
He added, “We figured they’d come back swinging, but to see them right back on the front row after struggling at the start… that’s something else. It’s pretty remarkable. Still, my job’s the same: beat those guys. That’s where my head’s at right now.”
Leclerc had to settle for third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari looked strong early in qualifying, but their hopes faded by Q3.
He talked about the changing conditions, but didn’t think that’s what hurt Ferrari. “The wind definitely played a part, but track temperature wasn’t all that different, so I don’t think that’s the reason,” he said. “Maybe the track changed, and we didn’t see it coming, or maybe pushing harder today in qualifying just made our car’s weak spots stand out more.”
Leclerc admitted he hadn’t dug into the numbers yet; he’d just gotten out of the car. “We’ll have to check the details to figure out exactly where we lost time.”
