McLaren CEO Zak Brown has blasted the “amateur” driving from Nico Hulkenberg that wiped out his drivers from the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix Sprint Race.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were eliminated on the opening lap in Austin as the McLaren duo were caught up in an incident involving several cars at the race start.
Norris had lined up alongside pole-sitter Max Verstappen on the front row, but a sluggish launch had enabled his team-mate to nip ahead on the uphill climb to Turn 1.
However, the carnage ensued when Norris dived up the inside and Piastri, having anticipated that move coming, attempted a switchback underneath to claim second.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
Hulkenberg, who also had Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin on the inside, tagged Piastri’s rear wheel, leaving the Australian helpless to avoid going into his team-mate.
The stewards deemed that no action was required, but Brown, still situated in his place on the McLaren pit wall, intimated that blame could be apportioned elsewhere.
“Yeah, that was terrible,” Brown told Sky Sports F1.
“Neither of our drivers to blame there, some amateur hour driving from some drivers up there at the front, wiped [out] our two guys.”
When pressed on whether he was alluding to Hulkenberg, who started from fourth in the Sauber, with his comment, Brown replied: “Err, I want to see the replay again.
“But clearly Nico drove into Oscar and he had no business being where he was, went into his left rear tyre.”
McLaren’s anguish was compounded as Verstappen converted pole position to gain eight points on both Norris and Piastri, who echoed Brown’s view on the collision.
“I got hit, what else was I meant to do? That’s about it, I got taken out, not a lot I could have done,” Norris commented.
Piastri added: “We both went pretty deep into Turn 1, tried to cut back and got a hit, not a great way to start the day, but need to have another look.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen takes F1 US GP Sprint win as McLarens crash out
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-360x180.webp)
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