Verstappen Calls Austin’s Bumps Unacceptable and Wants Deeper Repairs

The Red Bull driver says repeated surface fixes aren’t addressing the underlying problem, raising concerns about the physical toll on drivers.

Max Verstappen loves the layout at Circuit of The Americas. What he wants changed is the surface beneath his Red Bull.

Speaking ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Verstappen called Austin’s bumps “unacceptable” and questioned whether repeated surface repairs could solve the underlying problem. Lando Norris backed his concerns, describing the physical effects of driving on rough circuits.

Their complaints go beyond finding a faster setup. Both drivers described impacts they believe the sport should take more seriously.

Verstappen wants more than another surface repair

Verstappen argued that grinding down individual bumps treats the symptoms without addressing movement beneath the asphalt. In his view, a lasting repair would require more extensive work, despite the cost and disruption.

He also said examinations of his lower spine had concerned him after years of racing, linking that concern to the repeated vertical impacts drivers experience. This was his account of his condition, rather than a published medical finding establishing that COTA had caused a specific injury.

His criticism came alongside praise for Austin and its circuit design. The objection was to the repeated jolts, not the challenge of the layout itself.

Norris describes headaches. Russell calls for consistency.

Norris said there are venues where he takes headache medication before driving because bumps repeatedly push his head against the headrest. He supported Verstappen’s criticism and expressed frustration that drivers had raised the issue many times.

George Russell offered a different perspective.

“Yeah, it’s bumpy, but I think it’s just part of racing,” he said.

That did not mean leaving surfaces untouched. Russell suggested F1 circuits should be repaved every couple of years to provide more consistent conditions, pointing to deteriorating asphalt as a wider problem across the calendar.

What COTA changed for 2026

The FIA’s United States Grand Prix competition notes confirm that the circuit was resurfaced from the entry of Turn 9 to the entry of Turn 11. Separate work smoothed the approaches to Turns 12 and 19 to remove bumps.

Those are targeted changes. Verstappen’s argument is that the work must reach beneath the surface if the problem keeps returning.

The disagreement is over how much unevenness drivers should accept and how circuits should address it. Norris and Verstappen want the physical consequences given greater weight; Russell accepts bumps as part of racing while calling for more regular maintenance.