The bumps on the Circuit of the Americas are no problem for Formula 1 drivers as they are for Moto GP drivers, according to the chairman of the circuit.
Bobby Epstein told RaceFans he had no concerns about the finish of COTA for the F1 race this weekend, despite several Moto GP drivers complaining about the bumps as they raced the circuit.
“These bumps don’t affect the cars,” said Epstein. “You’re on a different ideal line and don’t have the same effect as on a bike with a short chassis. So that’s the first thing that wouldn’t have worked [F1].
“But since the Moto GP two changes have been made. The FIA came and checked the track and said they would prefer to modify this part of the track a bit.
“So we did some sanding in the two areas of concern. And I think you will hear from the drivers that the track is in great condition. “
Epstein doesn’t expect any further work to be done on the track, saying the FIA ”didn’t tell us anything”. The circuit had solved all of the problems previously identified, he added.
“In 2020 there were concerns about the back straight, which is the longest three-quarters of a mile, and we brought that back to the surface,” he said. “That [old surface] Took nine years, so I hope we’ll have the same conversation in nine years, then we’ll fix it. “
Drivers and team members gave mixed views on the condition of the track on their first drive yesterday. Ferrari’s sporting director Laurent Mekies said the bumps were much worse than when they last visited F1 in 2019.
Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur said, however, that the condition of the track is not as bad as the F1 teams feared. “Everyone was expecting something very, very bumpy and it was just bumpy,” said Vasseur. “So not that bad.”
Vasseur admitted “I was a little more concerned after Moto GP” but the repairs that have been made since then have been effective. Although some bumps remain, Vasseur said they are “not in the same place and not on the same bumps”.
But the team’s driver, Antonio Giovinazzi, said the track hasn’t changed dramatically since F1’s last race two years ago.
“I think the bump situation is pretty similar to 2019, still in some corners [it’s] It is really very difficult to feel comfortable with the car with the bumps, ”said Giovinazzi. “But it is so and we have to adapt a little.”
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United States Grand Prix 2021
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