At the Formula 1 press conference in Singapore, Max Verstappen joked that the United States Grand Prix would require him to order a new spine. The four-time world champion 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 circuit.
At media day in Austin, Verstappen made clear he is genuinely concerned about the track. "From what I saw in WEC, it was extremely badly bumpy. I'm not really looking forward to that, to be honest, for your spine," he said. "We mentioned this already for years, that it's actually getting a bit out of control."
The problem stems from Texas' high-plasticity clay beneath the circuit, which causes a severe shrink-swell effect as weather changes. The bumps are worst in heavy braking zones. Ahead of the 2026 race, sections between Turns 9 and 11 were resurfaced, and repairs were made between Turns 12 and 19. The entire track was resurfaced two years ago, before the 2024 race.
Verstappen said the soil should not be used as an excuse. "It's very bad. Of course, 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," he said. He added that the bumps are unacceptable and that fixing them would require fully opening up the track, which would cost a lot of money and time.
Verstappen also warned that 2026 cars could make matters worse. Their very low ride heights, especially under braking, mean drivers bottom out more than before, making the bumps more painful.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing