Patrick's on-air analysis fuels punditry debate after Austin

At the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, former racing driver Danica Patrick’s on-air analysis of two on-track incidents — a lap-one Sprint collision that eliminated both McLaren drivers and a separate midrace clash that put Carlos Sainz out of the Grand Prix — prompted a viral reaction from fellow pundit Jenson Button and renewed debate about broadcast punditry as teams regroup for the next round in Mexico City.

The Sprint start incident unfolded seconds after the lights went out when Oscar Piastri, lining up third, attempted to stay wide through Turn 1 to carry momentum into the next corner. Nico Hülkenberg made contact with Piastri, sending his McLaren into team mate Lando Norris and leaving both cars with terminal damage. The Safety Car followed and both McLaren drivers were forced to retire. The race regulator classified the opening-lap crash as a racing incident. Piastri remains the championship leader, but the double retirement cost McLaren valuable track time and long-run data on a Sprint weekend that features only one practice session.

Commenting on the Sprint collision during the postrace broadcast, Patrick said Piastri “was still going to be on the outside for the...