The championship’s leading drivers again severely criticized the quality of the asphalt surface at the COTA Texas Speedway, believing it does not meet Formula 1 standards.
It is no coincidence that the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc took place exactly after the race in Austin, and we have already quoted the words of Ferrari sporting director Diego Ioverno, who emphasized that one of the factors that provoked this was the quality of the race was. surface, which exposed the control rod under the underside of the car to increased wear.
“It feels like this circuit is more suitable for rally cars,” said Max Verstappen, winner of the American Grand Prix. – You can say that the car bounces on it and chatters constantly. From the outside this is probably not very noticeable, because Formula 1 cars are pressed against the asphalt by the downforce, but in some places the bumps and potholes are so big that this is already exaggerated.
I don’t think this surface quality meets Formula 1 standards. I love this track, it has a cool configuration, but the asphalt here definitely needs to be replaced.”
At the same time, the track surface in Austin was renewed in early 2022, as MotoGP riders were very dissatisfied with the quality of the asphalt in 2021. The coating on some parts of the ring was replaced before the American Grand Prix.
“From what I heard, they are going to resurface the entire first sector next year, so let’s hope it gets better,” said Lando Norris, who moved to the second line of the protocol after Hamilton’s disqualification. – In general, it would be more correct if they did not change the asphalt in the braking zones now.
For the Grand Prix they have renewed the surface in some places and, for example, the section with new asphalt starts at the 100 meters before turn 12, and that is where we brake. They were able to take these little things into account.”
Lewis Hamilton generally agrees with the opinions of his fellow competitors.
“I like some bumps because they give the track a special character, but there are too many,” said the Mercedes driver before learning of his disqualification. – Within the framework of the GPDA association, we, the racers, are willing to discuss this issue with the track owners and help them identify problem areas. It is probably not worth changing the surface along the entire route, as this will entail enormous costs. For example, from the last bend to the starting line the asphalt is smooth and then the bumps begin.
The pit lane also has a smooth surface, but there are of course other places that need to be patched and improved.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
