McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has compared the bump on the approach to Turn 1 at the Circuit of the Americas to “a motocross jump” after qualifying seventh for the United States Grand Prix.
The Australian driver finished 0.768 seconds behind polesitter and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with his team-mate Lando Norris eighth after losing his final Q3 lap time to a track limits infringement.
The track surface has been a major talking point all weekend, after four-time champion Max Verstappen described the bumps as “unacceptable”. While Piastri claimed the majority of the track surface has been improved from last year, he singled out the braking zones for Turns 1 and 19 as problem areas.
“The majority of the track is probably better than what it has been in previous years,” Piastri explained when asked for his opinion of the track surface. “But the bump into Turn 1 is a bit like a motocross jump. And the one into Turn 19 is not that much better.
“So, in qualifying it’s not too bad because you brake after the bump. But in the race tomorrow, you’re braking right on that bump. Especially if you’re overtaking someone into Turn 1.”
Piastri added that the drivers had raised the issue with the FIA.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Photo by: Alex Slitz / Getty Images
“We’ve spoken with the FIA about it. They’re aware. And I’m sure it’ll be fixed for next year,” he added.
The 25-year-old was also asked about the new building overlooking Turn 1, complete with cable cars carrying spectators, and whether it had changed his reference points. The state-of-the-art clubhouse was introduced for the 2026 race and offers members year-round access to the track and its facilities, among many other perks.
“Not really,” Piastri explained. “There’s just a bit more atmosphere. There’s a bit more going on. Before, we looked at the sky and now you’ve got… You can see a few more people in the cable cars.
“The first time I was like, OK, that’s pretty close. But after that, I think it adds to the atmosphere in some ways. So, it’s not changed much.”
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