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McLaren Formula 1 executives Zak Brown and Stella attributed opposing racers for the collision between Piastri and Lando Norris at the beginning of the United States Grand Prix sprint race.

The Australian driver, ahead of Norris in the standings by 22 points, made contact with his team-mate after colliding with the Hulkenberg.

The crash eliminated both team drivers out of the event, along with the Alonso, who was on the inner side of the Sauber driver.

McLaren Leaders Express Disappointment Over Crash

Zak Brown, the team's chief executive officer, commented to broadcasters that some of the driving at the start was "unprofessional", stating: "Clearly Hulkenberg drove into Oscar and he had no reason being where he was."

The team team principal Andrea Stella stated: "Our feeling is that we are disappointed that we didn't have the possibility to race."

"It is unexpected that some racers with a lot of experience don't act with necessary care. Go to the first corner, ensure you avoid harming competitors and continue."

McLaren clarified that Stella was mentioning both the Sauber driver and Alonso.

Differing Perspectives on the Incident

However, former champion Damon Hill, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, said he thought Piastri had not demonstrated enough understanding of the dangers of the first corner of an Formula 1 event when he decided to cut back to try to pass his teammate.

The Australian had a better start than the Briton and initially competed on the outer side on the uphill approach to the turn.

However he then moved inside in an effort to get a run on his teammate on the way out, only to make contact with the Sauber driver.

Racer Comments After the Collision

The McLaren driver said: "Less than perfect but I did not see what occurred, I attempted to cut back on Norris and we were both quite distant from the corner apex and then got a hit and it propelled me into Norris. Unfortunate."

His teammate commented: "I just was struck, right? I did nothing wrong. Further back events unfolded and I just got unlucky and was struck because of it. I don't know. I need to review a bit more carefully. It's more drivers behind just being a bit reckless and we are the consequence of that."

The Aston Martin driver said: "At one point I thought I was in the correct position on the inside, but some vehicles came very fast from the outside changing direction and then I was there in the center."

The Sauber driver, who had earned a best qualifying fourth place, said: "Big frustrations. All the strong performance from the previous day in the bin. Just chaotic."

"Oscar turned in pretty aggressively trying to get the undercut and exit of Turn One but I can't just disappear."

"I had Fernando challenge on the inside and I couldn't see him any more. I aimed to provide room for him and then Oscar turned in and the collision was inevitable."

Post-Crash and Team Response

The team will review the incident with their drivers but not until the race weekend. Both vehicles needed extensive work before grand prix qualifying at 10 PM BST on Saturday.

The team principal said: "Overall displeased but we take it on the chin, we are now focusing on fixing the vehicles, there is a lot to do and then we will restart the weekend from there."

"We are in a competitive place from our competitiveness point of view so I trust we have the possibility to compete, race normally and utilize our capabilities."

"Championship points are the key thing, I don't want to talk about bad intentions, just caution. A little more care would be beneficial for all involved."

Championship Implications

The race was taken by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who gained ground on both McLaren drivers in the standings - he is now fifty-five points behind Piastri and thirty-three behind of Norris.

The team boss said: "The implication is what the maths says - we lost eight championship points with both drivers, but we focus on ourselves. We have a highly capable car and two skilled drivers. We look forward to just some standard competition."

Verstappen said he was taking the title race race by race.

United States Grand Prix

October 17-19, with race from 8 PM BST on Sunday

Real-time analysis on sports radio, additional channels and Sports Extra 2; live text updates on sports website and mobile application