CHAOS AT UNITED STATES GP: MASSIVE GRID PENALTY FOR HULKENBERG & RED BULL POINTS FINGERS AFTER PIASTRI/NORRIS CRASH – HUGE VERSTAPPEN REVELATION!
Austin, Texas – A tumultuous weekend at the Circuit of the Americas turned the 2025 United States Grand Prix into a nightmare for McLaren, as star drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were knocked out of the Sprint race in a catastrophic first-lap collision. Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) was slapped with a “massive grid penalty” of 10 positions for Sunday’s main race, while Red Bull—capitalizing on the chaos—publicly blamed all three drivers involved, branding it a “rookie mistake” by inexperienced racers. The drama peaked with a bombshell from Max Verstappen: “The championship is still alive” – the four-time champion’s first admission that he’s charging toward a fifth title, now just 40 points behind Piastri!
The incident unfolded at Turn 1 of Saturday’s Sprint race (October 18, 2025), when Piastri—leading the championship by 22 points over Norris—attempted a daring overtake on his teammate from third place. Norris, starting second behind Verstappen, took a safe inside line, but Piastri dove aggressively inward, only to be rammed from behind by Hulkenberg. The Sauber driver’s car spun, launching Piastri’s McLaren airborne before it slammed into Norris, shredding tires and destroying suspensions on both papaya cars. The result? Both McLarens recorded a DNF (Did Not Finish) just 30 seconds into the race, while Verstappen cruised from pole to win the Sprint, pocketing eight crucial points.
Hulkenberg, accused of “failing to brake in time” due to a wide line choice, was summoned by FIA stewards. After a 45-minute review of telemetry and onboard footage, he received a hefty penalty: a 10-place grid drop for the main race and a $50,000 fine ($25,000 suspended until season’s end if no further infractions). “It was an unavoidable collision, but Hulkenberg lacked caution in a chaotic corner,” steward Malcolm Wilson stated. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), caught in the melee, escaped with a warning as an “indirect victim.” Piastri, regaining composure, admitted over radio: “I tried to cut inside Lando—we were both off the apex, then got hit and took him out. Total mess.”
Red Bull, reaping the biggest gains as Verstappen “stole points” from McLaren’s disaster, didn’t hesitate to point fingers. Team principal Christian Horner remarked post-Sprint: “This is what happens when playoff pressure cracks young drivers. Hulkenberg misjudged the corner, and Piastri-Norris were too aggressive with each other—they took themselves out. We just watched… and won.” The sharp words reignited tensions, recalling the Norris-Piastri clash in Singapore two weeks prior, where Norris faced internal McLaren discipline for “teammate contact.” McLaren CEO Zak Brown fired back: “Red Bull’s gloating over our pain, but wait for the main race. We’ll rebuild and strike back!”
The real fireworks came in Sunday’s main race (October 19, 2025), where Verstappen dominated from pole, winning by 11 seconds over Norris (P2 after a fierce
