Max Verstappen lashes out at bumpy nature of 2023 F1 US GP track: "It's better suited to a rally car"

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen lashed out at the bumpy nature of the COTA circuit, where the US GP was held on Sunday. He said the track was probably better suited to a rally car than an F1 car and urged for its resurfacing before the next year's race.

Many F1 drivers, throughout the weekend, had complained about the track being a bit too bumpy and causing different problems for the car and some damage as well. The bumps on the track, however, add a bit of character to the circuit and present some new challenges for the drivers.

Speaking in the post-race press conference, Max Verstappen asked the organizers to resurface the track as the bumps are a bit too much. He said:

"Yeah, it needs to be redone because at the moment it feels like it's better suited to a rally car. Like I'm jumping and bouncing around. In an F1 car probably you don't even see it as much because of course we are glued to the ground because of the downforce but the bumps and jumps that we have in some places, this is way too much. I don't think it's F1 level.

"I love this track. Honestly, the layout is amazing but we definitely need new tarmac and it needs to be a lot smoother for the coming years because we already asking for this for I think quite a few years, and it's not really been done."

Max Verstappen gives his take on other teams catching them in 2023

The Red Bull driver accepted that the other teams are closing the gap to them in the final stages of the 2023 season but also stated that it would be interesting to see where everyone lines up when the new season begins next year.

Max Verstappen said:

"Yeah, our latest update has already been a while. But yeah, clearly, of course, at the moment they're catching and it's going to be interesting to see where everyone is going to be next year, the first race.

"And time will tell, of course, how competitive we're all going to be next year. I think the good thing is, of course, that the rules are not really changing, so whatever you do now, I think you're learning a lot for next year anyway."

It will be fascinating to see if teams like McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin are anywhere close to Red Bull and Max Verstappen at the beginning of the 2024 season and present a serious title threat to them.