Verstappen jokes he may need a new spine after racing at COTA

[GOAT25]

Max Verstappen is not looking forward to the bumps at the Circuit of the Americas. PlanetF1's Michelle Foster reports that the Red Bull driver joked he would probably need to order a new spine after racing in Austin this weekend

COTA is famous for its bumpy surface, which shakes the drivers around in the stiff modern cars. For 2026, turns 9 to 11 have been resurfaced, and bumps before turns 12 and 19 have been smoothed. But Verstappen clearly expects it to be uncomfortable

He arrives in good form, with five top three finishes in a row, including wins in Bahrain and Singapore. He is fourth in the championship, 8 points behind Lewis Hamilton and 17 behind George Russell in second

Verstappen is 119 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli, with 150 points still available, so he is not completely out of it mathematically. He said the RB22 has felt a lot nicer since Baku, but insisted he is not in a title fight

Bumpy tracks are a real issue with modern F1 cars, which run very stiff and low. Drivers have complained about back pain for years. Verstappen's humour hides a serious concern, and he will still be one of the favourites in Austin

Should F1 do more about bumpy tracks? And can Verstappen win in Austin again?

Max Verstappen's 'new spine' joke says it all about Austin's bumpswww.planetf1.com