Sprint win for Verstappen as McLaren comes up short, the perfect warm-up for Sunday’s GP

July 26, 2025 — F1 — (Foto: Getty Images)

Max Verstappen claimed victory in the sprint race at one of the most technically demanding tracks on the calendar. Oscar Piastri, pole sitter and championship leader, was overtaken on the opening lap. Verstappen executed a precise move to take the lead. Shortly after, Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris also lost a position to Charles Leclerc, putting both McLaren drivers on the back foot early in the race.

Although the sprint awards points, the primary focus remains on the main race on Sunday. Around lap 6, McLaren radioed Piastri to check on his tyre condition. He confidently replied, “Yes, they’re fine,” suggesting he had some margin to push. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly languished at the back with an uncompetitive Alpine. Franco Colapinto gambled on a different strategy, starting on soft tyres while the other 19 drivers ran on mediums. It didn’t work. Lewis Hamilton had a nightmare of his own, suffering a mistake in SQ1 that left him starting far down the order.

From lap 9 onward, the frontrunners — Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris — formed a tightly bunched train, separated by less than a second. The image echoed the Suzuka sprint, where McLaren was unable to overtake Red Bull. This time the script was familiar. McLaren applied pressure, but Verstappen defended flawlessly, maintaining pace lap after lap. Piastri hunted for gaps, while Norris struggled to fend off Leclerc. In just 15 laps, Verstappen sent a clear message: his pace remains the benchmark.

The sprint offered a condensed preview of what lies ahead on Sunday. Max Verstappen once again showed why he is always a threat in the title fight. The battle remains wide open, but today he reminded everyone who’s still in charge.