Oct.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen says medical checks have shown damage to the lower part of his spine as he renewed his criticism of the extreme bumps at the Circuit of The Americas.
The Red Bull driver had joked in Singapore that he might require “a new spine” after Austin, but said on arrival in Texas that the issue is serious.
“That was a joke, but actually it’s no laughing matter,” he said.
“It’s incredibly bumpy here.”
Verstappen said the problem has become more serious with the current cars, particularly in braking zones and corners.
“I think it is getting worse than before, because the car sits lower in the corners compared to the straights where we are now using straight mode,” he explained.
“And most of the bumps are on braking or in the corners.”
“I think this is a great place with one of the best layouts ever, but the bumps here are unacceptable.”
He said resurfacing work has only treated the symptoms.
“You have to get to the root of the problem, so what lies beneath the asphalt,” said Verstappen.
“That of course means you have to break up the entire track. That costs a lot of money and time, but frankly, that would be the only right way to solve this.”
Verstappen said the forces involved are significant.
“Last year, for example, you would take something like 5 or 6G in a corner,” he said. “But I had a few vertical impacts of 9G on my spine.”
“I can tell you that this is not pleasant. And from the checks I had done on my spine, it became clear that the underside doesn’t look good.”
He said drivers should not simply accept that as part of racing.
“I know this is part of racing and that it’s part of the sport, but I’ve suffered this damage from the cars of the past few years,” said the quadruple world champion.
“If we continue to find it acceptable that we continue to drive here, that damage will become even greater.”
Verstappen was also asked about Christian Horner’s new book and the stream of claims concerning Red Bull’s recent past.
“To be honest, I don’t read books at all,” he smiled.
“I don’t think I need to sit here and tell you what I think is right or wrong, or which events I experienced differently.”
“That is all in the past. What is happening right now is what matters most to me.”