Verstappen is right about the Austin bumps, and another patch job won't fix them
Max Verstappen says the bumps at the Circuit of the Americas are out of control and the track needs opening up properly, not more grinding.
Max Verstappen says the bumps at the Circuit of the Americas are "not natural and they are out of control". He's right, and another round of grinding won't fix them.
When the United States Grand Prix came up during the Formula 1 press conference in Singapore, the four-time world champion immediately joked that he would have to order a new spine. He had followed the World Endurance Championship round in Texas, the Lone Star Le Mans, held over the weekend of 6 September, and said he was shocked by the condition of the track. This isn't a driver who dislikes the place, either. "I love this track, I love this place. It's one of the best layouts ever," he said. "But for me the bumps are unacceptable."
Fixes on top, trouble underneath
Austin had a major resurfacing in 2022. More work went in ahead of this year's race. The track was resurfaced from the entry of Turn 9 to the entry of Turn 11 and smoothed at the entry of Turns 12 and 19 to remove bumps.
Verstappen thinks that's superficial. "Over time they've been grinding a little bit here and there but it's just putting a plaster on the big problem," he said.
His argument is that the real trouble sits below the tarmac, with "the surface underneath the soil just moving up and down". He isn't accepting that as an excuse. "You can use the excuse that the soil is the problem but then you should have known that and you need to make sure that you reinforce it more."
Why this year's cars make it worse
Verstappen expects it to be rougher this time. The cars from 2022 to 2025 had lower ride heights overall, but the way the cars are run under the latest regulations means they are running lower in corners than last season. Several of the bumpiest parts of the track, including the end of the long back straight, are in braking zones into slow corners.
"You bottom out way harder, because when the wings close and the ride-height comes down, under braking is actually a very stressful moment," he said.
He has felt it before. "Last year, for example, you pull around 5-6G in a corner, but I had some impacts, vertical load, which was over 9G on my spine, which I can tell you is really not fun." His fear is that drivers will suffer "much more" spinal damage if bumps like these aren't addressed.
Russell's fix isn't enough for shifting soil
Mercedes driver George Russell takes a calmer view. "It's bumpy, but I think it's just part of racing," he said. His answer is that F1 tracks "probably need to be repaved every couple of years just to make it a bit more consistent".
That's fine for tired tarmac. It doesn't touch ground that moves. Verstappen's fix is to "really fully open up the track", and he admits it "costs a lot of money and time". Austin should spend both before anyone's spine pays for it.
Sources
- Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control” (opens in a new tab), Motorsport.com
- Verstappen warns COTA bumps are “unacceptable” and “out of control” (opens in a new tab), Autosport
- Verstappen's spinal damage fears from 'out of control' F1 bumps (opens in a new tab), The Race
- Austin track bumps out of control - Verstappen (opens in a new tab), BBC Sport
