Overview
- Max Verstappen intensified complaints on Oct. 24 by saying scans show worn discs at the base of his spine and by calling COTA’s bumps “unacceptable.”
- Reigning champion Lando Norris and other drivers reported physical effects from the surface, with Norris saying he takes headache tablets before driving at Austin.
- Circuit of the Americas chairman Bobby Epstein acknowledged a problematic dip at the bottom of Turn 1, said it is hard to fix quickly and confirmed crews carried out spot repairs elsewhere on the track.
- Drivers and engineers attribute the sharper impacts to modern F1 design changes such as lower ride heights and 18‑inch wheels that cut tyre sidewall suspension and increase vertical loads over bumps.
- COTA sits on clay that shifts with weather and was resurfaced before 2024 with targeted repairs since, meaning long‑term correction of subsurface dips will likely need excavation, higher cost and off‑season work next year.