Max Verstappen revealed concerns about the condition of his spine as he issued a scathing criticism of the “out of control” bumpy track surface at the Circuit of The Americas.
The four-time world champion arrives in Austin for Sunday’s US Grand Prix having claimed his first two wins of the season in back-to-back races.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Verstappen was unexpectedly passionate about the state of the circuit, widely regarded as one of the most popular drivers on the F1 calendar.
“You also see the condition of the track from what I saw in the WEC (World Endurance Championship), it was extremely bumpy,” Verstappen said.
“I’m not looking forward to it to be honest, about the spine. I was joking about it in the last race, but it’s not really a joke to be honest because we’ve been talking about it for years now that it’s actually getting a bit out of hand.
“I’m sure it’s going to be quite difficult to find the right compromises around this track in places where it’s just extremely bumpy. I don’t know how our car will respond to that.”
The Red Bull driver appeared to be urging event organizers to put more emphasis on improving the surface for the event in the future.
“Of course, you can use the excuse that the dirt is the problem, but then you should have known that you have to make sure you boost it more,” Verstappen continued.
“I love this song. I love this place. It’s one of the best schemes ever and it’s one of the best places, cities to be in. But for me, the lumps we have are unacceptable.
“Over time, they’ve grinded a little bit here and there, but they’re just putting a plaster on the big problem – that’s just what it comes down to.”
“That’s what you have to deal with in the beginning. Of course, that means you have to open the track completely. That costs a lot of money and time, but honestly, that’s the only way to get rid of it, because these bumps are not natural and they’re out of control.”
Verstappen is looking for a third consecutive Grand Prix victory
Verstappen then explained that medical tests had shown that the “end” of his spine “doesn’t look so great”.
The 29-year-old said: “I think sometimes people don’t really understand that because I can tell you from the spine checks I’ve had, the bottom part doesn’t look so great, the spine.
“I know it’s part of racing. I know it can be part of the sport, but of course it’s further damage from the cars we’ve had in recent years.
“Now, if we continue to find this acceptable to drive, then you will suffer even more.”
Norris: I have to take headache pills
Reigning world champion Lando Norris revealed that he takes headache tablets before riding certain tracks because of their bumps.
Norris also explained that if COTA were a brand new circuit, it would not meet the requirements to be added to the calendar.
“If you build a new track now, the rules, the regulations for building a new track, the tolerances you have to be within are very tight,” Norris said.
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Lando Norris says he is allowed to race team-mate Oscar Piastri despite McLaren suffering a double DNF at the Singapore Sprint Race.
“It certainly doesn’t fit anywhere near what those regulations are now, but it’s an old track, not a new track.
“It’s really bad. There’s a lot of places… I have to take headache pills before I go out just because it’s so bumpy and you’re banging your head really hard against the headrests and things because of the bumps. It’s definitely not a good thing.
“There’s not much we can do. We complain about it. It’s something we’ve brought up many, many times, but there’s only so much we can complain about.”
Mercedes driver George Russell said the bumpy nature of the circuit is “just part of the race” but expressed concern about the overall standard of the surfaces throughout the year.
“It’s bumpy, but I guess that’s just part of the race,” Russell said.
“I would say that my general view is that F1 tracks should probably be repaired every couple of years, just to make it a little bit more consistent, because we’re going to tracks now where the track is getting closer, it’s falling apart, it’s causing more problems than not.
Verstappen won last year’s race in Austin
“We’re not an IndyCar or F2 car that has their ride heights, quite high. Our ride heights are 10mm at the bottom of the line, a centimeter off the ground, so every time you crash, you really feel it.
“The side profile of the tires now that we’ve been on 18-inchers is significantly smaller.
“The circumference of the tire is the same. The circumference of the rim is much larger, so you’ve lost all that effective suspension in the tire, which was a shock absorber, which we kind of don’t have anymore. Not ideal, but not much we can do.”
Sky Sports F1 United States GP live schedule
Friday, October 23
18:00: First practice of the United States Grand Prix (session starts at 18:30)*
20:00: F1 show
21:45: Second Practice of the United States Grand Prix (session starts at 22:00)*
23.50: F1 Academy race 1*
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Check out some of the most dramatic moments that have happened at the United States Grand Prix.
Saturday, October 24
18:15: Third Practice of the United States Grand Prix (session starts at 18:30)
20:30: United States Grand Prix Qualifying*
22:00: UNITED STATES GRAND PRIZE QUALIFICATION*
12:00: F1 Academy race 2*
12.45: Ted’s qualifying notebook*
Sunday, October 25
17:00: Race 3 of the F1 Academy
18:30: Grand Prix Sunday: US GP Preparation*
20:00: United States Grand Prix*
10:00 p.m.: Checkered flag: US GP reaction
11:00 p.m.: Teddy’s Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 heads to the Americas for another treble with the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the first this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
