Overview
- This weekend drivers raised formal safety and health concerns with the FIA at the US Grand Prix drivers' briefing and held follow-up talks with circuit representatives.
- Max Verstappen revealed medical scans showing damage to discs in his lower spine and said he is taking painkillers to manage symptoms while other drivers, including Lando Norris, report using tablets for headaches.
- Circuit of the Americas chairman Bobby Epstein acknowledged a problematic dip at the bottom of Turn 1 and said most other recent surface repairs have been completed but that the Turn 1 dip has no easy short-term fix.
- Drivers and experts argue resurfacing will not solve the root cause because the track sits on high‑plasticity clay that moves with moisture, so many propose digging out and rebuilding the foundation rather than repeated asphalt patches.
- If the FIA presses for deeper work the outcome could mean multi‑year, costly reconstruction, a review of track‑building tolerances and clearer limits on what surfaces drivers must accept to protect their long‑term health.