“Maybe we should start communicating in sign language!”

Hi racing fans,

Ronald Vording with Motorsport Network here. Welcome back to THE WEEK IN MAX VERSTAPPEN, Motorsport’s newsletter dedicated to the four-time champion.

After a bumpy ride in Texas, the F1 drivers are heading to Mexico, where we will more than likely crown the youngest world champion in history. Max already joked that Kimi Antonelli could get started on the tequila there, but before that, it’s time to look back on the United States Grand Prix. After two consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore, Max described his race in Austin as ‘frustrating’ and, like many other drivers, was also very critical of the state of the circuit.

Check it all out below.

In recent years, the Circuit of the Americas has proved to be a happy hunting ground for Verstappen. In 2021, he won after a thrilling battle with Lewis Hamilton – a race during which, as he would later reveal, he suffered from vision problems linked to his heavy crash at Silverstone earlier that year – and Max has since added another three victories in Texas.

Red Bull’s recent resurgence raised hopes for this year as well, something that was underlined on Friday and Saturday. Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were the fastest in the long runs, and Max followed that up with second place in qualifying on Saturday. That perhaps should have been pole, judging by his Q2 lap on used tyres, but when I asked Max about it later during our Dutch media session in the paddock, he admitted to being puzzled by an unexplained loss of grip in Q3.

Nevertheless, P2 still seemed like a pretty good starting position, especially as the driver starting from second on the grid – on the inside – has often taken the lead into the first corner of this amazing layout. Fun fact: since 2019, Verstappen had been the only driver to hold on to the lead from pole at the start in Austin. This year, we can add Antonelli to that list, partly because Verstappen described his own start in the press conference as being in line with his other starts this season: “Consistently sh**!”

In that post-race press conference, Max’s list of complaints turned out to be even longer. He also struggled with inconsistent behaviour from the power unit and was unhappy with Red Bull’s strategy. The latter is interesting. Over the past few weekends, one of Red Bull’s strengths had been keeping the softer compounds alive, but that proved to be a trap in Austin. Here, the harder compounds turned out to work better, but according to Verstappen, Red Bull failed to react adequately.

On top of that, there was yet another radio problem. It prompted Isack Hadjar to tell me in the media pen: “It seems like Red Bull can do the hardest things, but we can’t fix the silly things [radio and starts].” Max Verstappen joked: “Maybe we should start communicating in sign language!”

With those words in mind, I went to team principal Laurent Mekies, who offered an insightful explanation: yes, Verstappen and Hadjar are right about the radio problem, and it needs to be fixed quickly, but addressing Red Bull’s weaknesses at the start will take longer – most likely until 2027, as they are linked to the clutch, gearbox and turbo.

All in all, Max called it a frustrating race, but strangely enough, there is also a positive to take from that: six months ago, Red Bull would often fall away on difficult days, ending up in P7 or P8. Now, even a bad race still results in a podium finish, which says a lot about Red Bull’s recent progress.

Aside from the competitive picture, there was one other major talking point in the Austin paddock: the extreme bumps. Max had already joked with Kimi in Singapore – “I need a new spine!” – and the Dutchman doubled down during media day in Texas. When I asked Max about it in the Red Bull hospitality, he called the bumps “unacceptable” and “out of control”. Both he and Lando Norris were taking painkillers throughout the weekend.

Max’s comments subsequently prompted a response from circuit boss Bobby Epstein, who argued that only the bump at Turn 1 remained and that the rest had been fixed. He added that Verstappen would be pleasantly surprised after completing a few laps. But when we had our Dutch media session with Max after qualifying, it turned out that, well, that wasn't exactly the case…

He was anything but impressed with the state of COTA and had a witty response for Epstein: “I invite him to drive my car. I think he'd have to get out after five laps and wouldn't be able to walk anymore!” Max said it with a laugh, but there was, of course, a serious undertone.

After all, he has made it clear that the lower part of his spine isn’t in great shape and that F1 drivers should no longer have to accept such conditions. As the bumps are linked to Texas’ clay soil and a severe shrink-swell effect, he called for drastic measures. According to the four-time world champion, simply resurfacing the track is not enough; the entire circuit needs to be dug up to lay a better foundation.

Let's see next year whether that actually happens, rather than building some extravagant structure with a gondola lift on the outside of Turn 1! Howdy, and on to Mexico!

MOTORSPORT · RONALD VORDING
Max Verstappen pinpoints two recurring Red Bull problems: "We should use sign language!"
A sixth straight podium wasn't enough to satisfy Max, who explains the two issues that have dogged Red Bull all season.

MOTORSPORT · RONALD VORDING
Max Verstappen reacts to COTA boss: "He can drive my car, after five laps he won't be able to walk"
Max fires back at the circuit boss over Austin's bumps, and calls for far more than a fresh layer of asphalt.

AUTOSPORT · RONALD VORDING
Verstappen’s words explained: Why Red Bull’s turnaround is so different this time
From 'paper car' at Monza to wins in Malaysia and Singapore: why this Red Bull comeback isn't a repeat of last year's.

MOTORSPORT · RONALD VORDING
Did Max Verstappen already know the impact of Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new deal?
Max reveals what Red Bull told him before he extended his deal, and why the Baku upgrade matters beyond lap time.

MOTORSPORT · RONALD VORDING
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
After watching WEC in Texas, Max explains why COTA's bumps are no joke for drivers' spines.

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Cheers,

Ronald

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The Week in Max Verstappen is an independent editorial product from Motorsport. It is not affiliated with Max Verstappen, Verstappen.com Racing, or Red Bull Racing.