The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Max Verstappen won the 2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, October 18, beating George Russell by 0.395 seconds. Carlos Sainz finished third for Williams, while a first-corner collision eliminated both McLarens and Fernando Alonso before the opening lap was complete. The 19-lap, 104.424-kilometre Sprint finished behind the Safety Car after a late incident involving Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon.
2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint: final results
The FIA’s final classification lists Verstappen as the winner in 37:58.229. Russell took second for Mercedes and Sainz completed the podium for Williams. The top eight scored points, with eighth place worth one point.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Gap/status | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 37:58.229 | 8 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team | +0.395s | 7 |
| 3 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.791s | 6 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.224s | 5 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.825s | 4 |
| 6 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +2.576s | 3 |
| 7 | Yuki Tsunoda | Oracle Red Bull Racing | +2.976s | 2 |
| 8 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team | +4.147s | 1 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +4.804s | 0 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +5.126s | 0 |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +5.649s | 0 |
| 12 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +6.228s | 0 |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +6.624s | 0 |
| 14 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +8.006s | 0 |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +13.576s after penalty | 0 |
| NC | Esteban Ocon | Haas | DNF, 15 laps | 0 |
| NC | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | DNF, 15 laps | 0 |
| NC | Lando Norris | McLaren | DNF, 0 laps | 0 |
| NC | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | DNF, 0 laps | 0 |
| NC | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | DNF, 0 laps | 0 |
See the FIA’s official final Sprint classification for the complete result, lap counts, fastest lap and penalty details.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteHow Verstappen won the COTA Sprint
Verstappen converted pole position into a clean launch and held the lead at the start. That gave him control of a short race that was repeatedly interrupted by incidents behind him. The official result confirms the victory and the final timing, but it should not be expanded into a claim that he led every individual lap without a separate lap-by-lap timing record.
#1 Best Overall
Russell was the closest challenger throughout the competitive portions of the Sprint. On lap eight, the Mercedes driver tried to attack Verstappen into Turn 12. Both cars ran wide, but Verstappen rejoined ahead. The stewards took no further action; Russell’s move was not recorded as a completed overtake or as a penalty against Verstappen.
Verstappen also set the fastest lap of the Sprint: a 1:36.527 on lap seven. Because this was a Sprint, the result was decided over 19 laps rather than the 56-lap distance used for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.
Lap-one crash eliminates both McLarens
The most consequential moment came at Turn 1. Nico Hulkenberg tagged Oscar Piastri, sending Piastri into his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Both McLaren drivers retired without completing a lap. Piastri could not reach the pits after suspected suspension damage, while Norris was also eliminated in the opening-lap contact. Fernando Alonso was caught in the same first-lap incident and retired as well.
The crash brought out the first Safety Car. It transformed the race for the drivers behind Verstappen, removing an immediate fight between the two McLarens and bunching the field before the restart. Formula 1’s event report covers the opening-lap collision and the subsequent restart.
Russell holds second as Sainz takes Williams to the podium
Russell finished only 0.395 seconds behind Verstappen, but the late neutralization prevented a final green-flag attack. Sainz was another 0.396 seconds behind Russell to claim third, giving Williams a place on the Sprint podium.
Ferrari took fourth and fifth, with Lewis Hamilton finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc. Alexander Albon followed in sixth, making Williams the only team besides Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari to place both cars in the top six. Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda was seventh.
Rank #2
Kimi Antonelli completed the points-paying positions in eighth. The Mercedes rookie finished 4.147 seconds behind Verstappen and scored one point under the Sprint points scale.
Second Safety Car brings the Sprint to a neutralized finish
A second Safety Car period followed contact between Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon on lap 16. Neither driver was classified as a finisher: both were listed as retired after completing 15 laps.
The Sprint therefore ended behind the Safety Car, with Verstappen, Russell and Sainz crossing the line in that order. The neutralized finish meant the leaders had no opportunity to race wheel-to-wheel for the final laps.
Why Oliver Bearman is 15th in the final result
Oliver Bearman had been running in the final points position before the classification was finalized, but the FIA applied a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. His official result became 15th, with a listed gap of 13.576 seconds.
That penalty is why Kimi Antonelli, rather than Bearman, occupies eighth place in the final classification and receives the last Sprint point. Race reports based on the provisional running order may show Bearman in eighth, but the FIA final document is the result to use.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
What the result means
Verstappen’s victory was his 13th Formula 1 Sprint win, according to Formula 1’s event report. It was also his 10th Sprint pole. The eight points strengthened his position in the weekend’s championship picture, while Russell and Sainz added seven and six points respectively.
The result also highlighted how little a Sprint can resemble a conventional Grand Prix. Verstappen’s front-running pace and clean start produced a controlled win, but the opening-lap McLaren double retirement, two Safety Car periods and Bearman’s post-race penalty significantly changed the points order.
The COTA Sprint must be kept separate from the Sunday United States Grand Prix. The Sprint took place on Saturday, October 18, over 19 laps. Formula 1’s race archive lists a separate 56-lap Grand Prix on Sunday, October 19, which Verstappen also won. This article covers only the Saturday Sprint classification.
Event distance and Sprint points
Formula 1 commonly describes a Sprint as a roughly 100-kilometre dash. For this event, however, the FIA’s final classification specifies the exact distance as 104.424 kilometres over 19 laps. It is more precise to use the FIA distance than to call the Austin Sprint exactly 100 kilometres.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
- First place: 8 points
- Second place: 7 points
- Third place: 6 points
- Fourth place: 5 points
- Fifth place: 4 points
- Sixth place: 3 points
- Seventh place: 2 points
- Eighth place: 1 point
Putting the Austin Sprint in season context
Readers who want a physical season-wide results reference may want to look for Formula One Yearbook 2025. Bruce Jones’s hardcover book includes Grand Prix results, driver and constructor statistics, standings and season reviews. It is a commercial reference book—not an official FIA publication and not an event-specific Austin Sprint program—so check the current retailer listing for availability.
Fans looking for licensed apparel can browse official F1 Austin merchandise, including United States Grand Prix items and teamwear. Inventory, sizes, geography and product descriptions change, and a particular cap or shirt should not be described as commemorating Verstappen’s Sprint win unless its listing explicitly says so.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Viewing and replay notes
Viewing rights and subscription packages depend on country and date. For U.S. readers, Formula 1’s 2025 season review says Apple TV became the exclusive U.S. broadcast partner beginning in 2026, while F1 TV Premium would remain available in the United States through an Apple TV subscription. That arrangement does not mean Apple TV was the service used for the 2025 Austin Sprint.
F1 TV’s official subscription information describes live shows, analysis, documentaries and archive content, but U.S. live access and packaging changed around the 2026 broadcast-rights transition. Check the current F1 TV subscription page and local rights information before subscribing.
Recommended Free Tools
For the event record itself, use the official Formula 1 United States Grand Prix archive alongside the FIA classification. The archive separates the Saturday Sprint from Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2025 F1 United States Grand Prix Sprint?
Max Verstappen won the 19-lap Sprint at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, October 18, 2025, for Oracle Red Bull Racing.
Who finished second and third in the 2025 Austin Sprint?
George Russell finished second for Mercedes, 0.395 seconds behind Verstappen, and Carlos Sainz finished third for Williams, 0.791 seconds behind the winner.
Why did Oliver Bearman finish 15th after appearing to be eighth?
Bearman received a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. The penalty moved him to 15th in the FIA’s final classification and promoted Kimi Antonelli to eighth and the final point.
What happened to McLaren in the Austin Sprint?
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were eliminated in a Turn 1 collision on the opening lap after contact involving Nico Hulkenberg. Both McLaren drivers were classified as non-finishers.
Was the 2025 Austin Sprint the same race as the United States Grand Prix?
No. The Sprint was a separate 19-lap Saturday event on October 18. The United States Grand Prix was a separate 56-lap race held on Sunday, October 19.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Verstappen won a chaotic but ultimately controlled 2025 COTA Sprint from pole, with Russell second and Sainz third. The decisive storyline was the contrast between Verstappen’s clean launch and the double McLaren retirement at Turn 1; the final points order was completed only after Bearman’s 10-second penalty and a Safety Car finish.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
