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Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris has revealed that he has to take headache medication to cope with the punishing bumps at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, host of the United States Grand Prix.
The Circuit of the Americas was constructed in 2012 on reclaimed marshland near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. This has led to continuous ground movement and subsidence beneath the asphalt, with the harsh Texas climate causing further deterioration to the track surface.
The issue was far less severe prior to 2022, when cars were not running as close to the ground. However, during the ground-effect era between 2022 and 2025, aerodynamic downforce was generated by running cars as low as possible to the asphalt, significantly amplifying the violent jolts from every bump.
Ahead of this year's race, Max Verstappen described the track conditions as "unacceptable" and warned of the risk of permanent spinal injuries after recording peak impacts of nine G during the 2025 event.
Norris fully backed his rival and fellow world champion's scathing assessment of the circuit's condition.
"I would say he's right. If a new venue is built nowadays, the FIA enforces strict requirements and regulations, and the tolerances are minimal. This track definitely doesn't meet modern standards, but it is an older facility rather than a newly built one," Norris told the media.
"The situation is pretty severe. There are places where I have to take headache pills beforehand just because the bouncing is so extreme and your head keeps banging against the cockpit surround. It's definitely not an enjoyable experience, but we don't have much choice. We bring it up and complain repeatedly, but there's a limit to what we can do. Either way, Verstappen is completely right."
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