COTA boss Bobby Epstein insists “there’s no problem” with bumps at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix venue amid complaints from Max Verstappen.
The Red Bull driver joked after winning in Singapore that he would need a new spine after the US GP weekend, as feedback from FIA WEC drivers about the asphalt was not positive.
He then told ViaPlay after qualifying at COTA on Saturday that he is having to take painkillers to manage pain in his back due to the bumps.
COTA’s track surface has regularly been criticised due to the amount - and severity - of the bumps.
Verstappen qualified second for Sunday's United States Grand Prix
“There’s no problem”
Epstein, speaking with ESPN, accepts that a dip in the surface appeared at Turn 1, which the circuit can do nothing about right now.
However, he doesn’t accept Verstappen’s criticism about the track as a whole.
“We don’t feel good that there’s a bump at the bottom of Turn 1,” Epstein said.
“We didn’t know about it until this week. We would have fixed it.
“But the other things Max spoke about, all the bumps around the track, we’ve fixed them.
“The track is in really good shape.
“I talked to some WEC drivers who said there’s no problem.
“There’s one bump at the beginning of [Turn] 1 that is not acceptable in my mind; it’s a dip, not a bump.
“If it were a bump, we’d sharpen it out; we’d take care of it tomorrow night, or overnight tonight, and that kind of stuff’s happened before [at other tracks].
Max Verstappen has been critical of the bumps at COTA
“But when it’s a dip, it’s a lot different; there’s no easy fix.”
“Max doesn’t say I’m wrong a lot, but he’s also right a lot, and he’s usually very frank, and I appreciate that about him.
“I had no problem with him saying what he said. I think he might be surprised in some areas that bumps he thought were here aren’t any more.”
The issue at Turn 1 has raised concerns ahead of Sunday’s US Grand Prix, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri likening it ot a “motocross jump”.
“In qualifying it’s not too bad because you brake after the bump,” Piastri said.
“But in the race tomorrow, you’re braking right on that bump, especially if you are overtaking someone into Turn 1.”
Lewis joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having been a journalist for five years covering MotoGP for the Motorsport Network. In February of 2026, he became Head of Editorial.