Verstappen fears he may need a 'new spine' after worrying Austin discovery
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Tobia is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with experience at international circuits. Since 2022, he has covered Grands Prix across Europe, delivering reliable coverage and insights from the paddock.
Max Verstappen has joked that the condition of the Circuit of the Americas could leave him needing a new spine, having noticed just how uneven the track surface appeared during the recent WEC race in Austin.
The Dutchman is heading into the United States Grand Prix encouraged by Red Bull's recent performances, although he is refusing to make any predictions about his chances of fighting at the front. With the Texas circuit presenting a different set of demands, Verstappen believes there are still plenty of unknowns heading into the weekend.
Verstappen left stunned by Austin's bumps
The Red Bull driver discussed his expectations for the upcoming race during the post-race press conference in Singapore, where he was asked whether his recent results had given him greater confidence ahead of the next round.
While acknowledging that the previous few weekends had gone well, Verstappen was unwilling to suggest that Red Bull would necessarily maintain the same level of competitiveness in the United States.
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"It's very difficult to say. I don't want to say now that I will be in the fight in Austin, but the last few weekends have been great. But I just take it race by race, and once we are in Austin, then we'll see how it will go there. But it's again a very different track."
Aside from the question of performance, Verstappen has already identified something that could make the Austin weekend particularly uncomfortable.
Photo: Race Pictures
Having watched footage from the World Endurance Championship at the same venue, the four-time world champion was surprised by the extent of the bumps around the circuit. He responded with a joke about the physical punishment awaiting the drivers: "From what I saw in WEC, the track is incredibly bumpy. Oh my god, I probably need to order a new spine after the weekend or become like Robocop. Crazy," he joked.
The uneven surface is another consideration for teams as they work to find the right car set-up. Managing the bumps while maintaining performance will be part of the challenge facing the entire grid.
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Verstappen highlights another concern ahead of Mexico
The difficulties Verstappen expects in Austin are only one part of a demanding sequence of races, with the Mexican Grand Prix bringing a completely different set of conditions.
"That's again a new challenge for everyone to deal with those bumps. And then we just go from there. We have to go to Mexico, again, high altitude, everything will run super hot."
The altitude in Mexico City makes cooling particularly important, with the reduced air density affecting how the cars and their power units operate. Verstappen stressed that Red Bull will have to assess its performance in those conditions rather than rely on what it has learned from previous races.
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"We need to see how the engine is going to perform at that altitude, how the car is behaving, because it's very different. There are so many different things that you can get right or wrong in those races, but we'll see."
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