Austin Grand Prix Recap

The Austin Grand Prix, despite being held two weeks ago, remains one of the most action-packed races of the 2025 season. Saturday’s qualifying saw Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secure pole position for the sprint race, setting the stage for an intense weekend. The battle for second place during qualifying was particularly fierce, with Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc vying closely for the spot. 

The sprint race itself was highly eventful, featuring a massive collision on the opening lap at Turn 1, which took out both McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, as well as Fernando Alonso, who retired later in the first lap due to damage from the crash. Nico Hulkenberg also retired early after suffering significant front wing damage in the melee. These early exits opened the door for Carlos Sainz of Williams to take advantage and claim his first sprint race podium since joining the team by finishing third. On lap 17, a separate crash between Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon triggered a second safety car, which remained on track until the race’s conclusion.

Photo: Clive Mason / Getty Images

The Sunday Grand Prix also had its tense moments. While Max Verstappen dominated, securing his fourth win at the Circuit of the Americas and extending his championship lead, the race featured many other intense battles. One that stood out most for P2 between Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, which ended on the 12th turn at lap 21, where Norris overtook Leclerc and remained at P2 for the rest of the race. Many midfield battles ensued, with Oscar Piastri narrowly getting P5 after an intense battle with George Russell, who finished P6. One of the most notable moments of the race, however, was the performance of HAAS’ rookie driver, Ollie Bearman, who spun out early in the race but managed to climb his way up to the top ten, finishing P9.

Overall, aside from many incidents over the duration of the weekend, it was an excellent performance from most of the drivers on the grid, especially the up and coming rookies and the WDC leaders.