Complaints from each F1 drivers and MotoGP riders about COTA’s floor high quality have grow to be a recurring theme in recent times on the in any other case well-liked venue.
In response to the preliminary criticism, COTA repaved some areas in 2022 and additional resurfacing was carried forward of this weekend’s race in Turns 12 and 14-16.
However Pink Bull driver Verstappen, who took his 50th grand prix win on Sunday, feels the monitor floor wants an additional overhaul.
“It must be redone as a result of in the intervening time it feels prefer it’s higher suited to a rally automobile. I am leaping and bouncing round,” the triple world champion mentioned.
“In an F1 automobile in all probability you do not even see it as a lot as a result of, after all, we’re glued to the bottom due to the downforce, however the bumps and jumps that we now have in some locations, that is means an excessive amount of. I do not suppose it is F1 degree.
“I really like this monitor. Truthfully, the format is superb however we positively want new tarmac and it must be quite a bit smoother for the approaching years, as a result of we already asking for this for I believe fairly a number of years, and it is probably not been performed.”
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB19, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60
Austin’s bumps, which turned an even bigger concern for F1 for the reason that swap to low journey peak floor impact automobiles in 2022, claimed a primary sufferer in Sunday’s race when Fernando Alonso needed to retire after smashing the ground of his Aston Martin.
“The monitor is brutal right here. It is actually very, very powerful,” defined group boss Mike Krack.
“And there was one a part of the ground, the ground on the precise, that’s simply damaged off, like half a metre in size. Simply gone.
“We all know that it is a exhausting circuit, you come right here, you reinforce the whole lot, you’ll strengthen the brake ducts, you strengthen the deflectors, you strengthen the whole lot you could strengthen.”
After the race Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were disqualified for extreme put on on their automobile’s ground plank, which can be regarded as the results of the tough floor.
Final weekend’s dash format additionally meant that groups had been locked into parc ferme guidelines after Friday’s solitary follow session and could not tweak their set-ups to account for extra skid pad put on with out shedding their grid spot.
Talking earlier than he was thrown out of the outcomes, Hamilton mentioned: “I like among the bumps as a result of it provides character to a circuit, however there’s means too many.
“As drivers within the GPDA we’re open to discussing with them and serving to them, like perhaps not doing the entire thing so it prices a fortune.
“From the final nook to the beginning line, for instance, that is easy. However there are different areas that for certain they might patch up and enhance.”