2023-10-23 10:39:25
Published：2023/10/23 19:39 Updated：2023/10/24 06:59
Regarding the bumpy Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the top three finishers of the 2023 F1 United States Grand Prix expressed concerns regarding the quality of the road surface, saying it did not meet the standards required of an F1 circuit, and asked the circuit to make improvements. requested.
After 56 laps of the race, Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who won his 15th victory of the season and his third consecutive American Grand Prix victory over Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Lando Norris (McLaren), said, “There was a lot of flying, bouncing, and stiffness. Panashi” said that COTA is more suitable for “rally cars” than F1.
“Maybe it doesn’t look too bad because the downforce is holding you down to the ground, but in some places it’s just too much bumps and jumps. I don’t think this is F1 level…
“The layout is great and I love this track, but to be honest I think we definitely need new tarmac for the next few seasons and it needs to be smoother. I’ve been asking for this for years. But it’s not actually being done.”
Since its first race in 2012, COTA’s bumps have been a source of criticism not only for F1 drivers but also for MotoGP riders. However, the cause of the uneven road surface is the clayey soil that spreads around Austin and the resulting ground subsidence, making it difficult to resolve.
40% of the course was resurfaced in preparation for 2020 to resolve the issue, but at the 2021 MotoGP American Grand Prix, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro said, “It’s absolutely ridiculous, extremely dangerous, and it’s like a nightmare.” Many riders expressed their dissatisfaction, including calling for the event to be cancelled.
Therefore, COTA has once more invested in the budget and will carry out major course renovations in preparation for 2021. Some resurfacing work has been carried out in preparation for the 2022 race, and new tarmac has been laid for Turn 12 and Turns 14-16 in preparation for the actual race.
Hamilton, who was later disqualified for failing to meet the plank wear requirements set out in the technical regulations, said: “I agree with Max. I like some of the pumps because they add character to the circuit.” “But there are far too many.”
“As GPDA drivers, we are open to discussing it with them and helping them, in cases where they might not want to do everything because it costs a lot of money.”
“For example, it’s smooth from the last corner to the start line, but the rest of the car is bumpy! The pit lane is smooth though (lol). There are definitely things that can be improved.”
Bumps are believed to be one of the reasons why the planks of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s (Ferrari) cars wore out more than the teams expected.
Norris, who finished third, said, “There was resurfacing from where the 100m board was to Turn 12, and that’s where we brake,” adding that new tarmac had been laid in the braking zone. He expressed dissatisfaction with what happened.
“From what I heard, the first sector will be resurfaced next year, so I hope it will be a little better.”
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