Max Verstappen: “I invite you to drive my car, after five laps you will no longer be able to walk”
The tension in the Formula 1 paddock following the state of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) has escalated to a new level. After the harsh criticism from the pilots during training for the Grand Prix of USA through the dangerous and extreme bumps of the Texan tracker, the pilot of Red Bull, Max Verstappenhas responded forcefully to the statements of the head of the circuit, Bobby Epstein.
The conflict arose when Epstein He downplayed the Dutchman’s complaints and assured the media that the problems on the track had already been resolved and that the situation was not as serious as it was portrayed. Upon hearing these words, Verstappen He did not take long to reply with irony and a clear challenge:
I invite you to drive my car. I think he would have to get off after five laps and he wouldn’t be able to walk.
UNITED STATES GP
A problem that comes from afar
The poor condition of the surface of austin It is not a new unforeseen event, but rather a recurring headache for the organization. The circuit was built on highly plastic clay soils, which causes a constant effect of contraction and swelling of the soil due to climate changes. Although COTA managers have carried out partial resurfacing – such as in turns 9 to 11 and sections between 12 and 19 – the drivers maintain that these interventions are insufficient.
As well as Norris he complained, Verstappen He explained that critical points such as the braking of Turn 1, Turn 19 or the ultra-fast section between Turns 4 and 5 present unacceptable bumps for single-seaters traveling at maximum speed. The Dutchman confessed that dealing with these daily impacts forces him to constantly take painkillers, a situation similar to that faced by other teammates on the grid due to the violent shocks to the cervical and spine.
A drastic request to the FIA
For the pilot of Red Bullcontinuing to apply surface layers of asphalt is equivalent to ‘putting a patch on an open wound’. For this reason, it has launched a radical proposal for the future: completely raise the circuit and redesign the foundations from scratch.
Verstappen urged both International Automobile Federation (FIA) as well as the address of the Formula 1 to tighten the requirements and demand definitive structural solutions, remembering that, although the works involve a colossal economic investment, the safety and physical integrity of competitors should not be compromised by provisional solutions.
