P1racenews AI automatic summary:
For the second time in two races, the two McLaren drivers made contact – the repercussions, however, were far greater on this occasion.
Following their race-ending crash on the opening lap of the Austin sprint race, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have expressed their opinions on the incident.
The collision occurred at the first corner, leading to both title contenders being forced out of the race due to terminal damage.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown blamed Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg for the incident, which resulted in Piastri being pushed into Norris.
Max Verstappen capitalized on the situation by gaining valuable points towards his late bid for the title.
Despite the setback, Norris and Piastri refrained from providing detailed accounts of the crash, with Norris stating that he was simply taken out with little room for action.
Piastri described his perspective as trying to make a move on Norris but getting hit by Hulkenberg in the process, emphasizing the need to review the incident further.
Brown reassured that the damage sustained is not expected to prevent Norris and Piastri from participating in qualifying later in the day.
