Norris backs Verstappen on COTA bumps, admits taking headache tablets before driving

Lando Norris has revealed he takes headache tablets before driving at certain Formula 1 circuits, backing Max Verstappen’s pointed criticism of the Circuit of the Americas ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Verstappen had set the tone on Thursday, joking after watching the World Endurance Championship race at COTA that he would “need to order a new spine after the weekend, or become like Robocop.” Norris, asked for his view shortly after, offered unambiguous support for his title rival’s assessment.

“Well, I would say yes,” Norris said. “If you build a new track now, the FIA rules and regulations of building a new track — the tolerances you have to be within are pretty small. It certainly doesn’t fit anywhere close to what those regulations are now, but it’s an old track, not a new track — it’s pretty bad.”

The McLaren driver went further in describing the physical toll the surface takes on drivers. “There’s a lot of places I need to take headache tablets before I go out,” he said. “Simply because it’s so bumpy and you’re hitting your head pretty hard against the headrests because of the bumps, so it’s certainly not a nice thing. But there’s not much we can do. He’s right. Certainly right.”

COTA’s surface has been a persistent grievance since Formula 1 first raced there in 2012. After his victory in Austin in 2023, Verstappen declared the bumps were “not F1 level,” prompting circuit chairman Bobby Epstein to promise repairs to the worst sections. The entire track was resurfaced ahead of the 2024 race, and further remedial work between Turn 9 and Turn 11 was carried out before this year’s event.

Mercedes driver George Russell also weighed in, describing the bumps as “part of racing” while arguing that F1 circuits should be resurfaced “every couple of years.” Russell noted that cars run just 10mm off the ground at the end of the straights, and that the smaller sidewalls of the current 18-inch tyres mean drivers absorb far more of the track’s imperfections than in previous generations.

Formula 1 is contracted to race at COTA until 2034 following a new agreement reached last year, meaning the circuit’s surface management will remain a recurring topic for some time yet.