Max Verstappen quips that he might require a "new spine" following the "extremely bumpy" US GP track.
Four-time Formula 1 titleholder Max Verstappen has cautioned that the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is "extremely bumpy" as he prepares for this weekend's United States Grand Prix, humorously suggesting he might need to "get a new spine" afterward.
The Red Bull racer arrives in Austin riding the wave of two straight victories at the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix. However, Verstappen has moderated his expectations for the race in Austin.
"It's quite challenging to predict. I don't want to claim that I will be in contention in Austin, but yeah, the last few weekends have been fantastic," the Dutch driver remarked during the post-race press conference in Singapore.
"But I just approach it race by race, and once we are in Austin, we will see how it unfolds there. But it's again a very different circuit."
He observed the World Endurance Championship's event at COTA, which raised concerns about the track's surface.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
"From what I observed in WEC, the track is extraordinarily bumpy. Oh my god, I might need to order a new spine after the weekend or turn into Robocop. Insane," he joked.
"That's yet another challenge for everyone, you know, to manage those bumps. And then we just move forward from there. We have to head to Mexico, which is again at high altitude; everything will operate super hot.
"We need to determine how the engine performs at that elevation, how the car responds, because it's quite different. So, you know, there are numerous factors that can go right or wrong in those races, but we'll see."
With six rounds left in the 2026 season, contingent on the last two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi proceeding as scheduled, Verstappen currently holds the fourth position in the drivers' standings. After amassing 58 points over the last two race weekends, including a sprint race, he has narrowed the gap to Lewis Hamilton in third to just eight points and George Russell in second to 17 points.
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