Drivers in 2022 have had to get used to bumps and bounces, with porpoising emerging as a major problem for many teams in the opening months of the season.
This weekend it was not the design of the car that was proving an issue, rather the track itself.
The Circuit of the Americas has had a reputation for being a bumpy track for a while, with the soil compound leading to some sub-surface sinking and water issues, and therefore an uneven track.
Lando Norris has revealed the extent of the damage the track caused him, while suggesting that even headache tablets are not enough to counter the track.
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“I struggled a lot with that this weekend,” he said when asked about the bumpy track.
“Have you seen how hard my head hits? I’ve got internal bruising on my head or something, so it’s really not nice.
“I don’t know if it’s better for us or worse than other cars, but it’s something I struggle a lot with.”
The young Brit has acknowledged the efforts that have been made to fix the problem, but suggests that more work needs to be done, especially with the new era of F1 cars.
“They resurfaced half of it. That half is a little bit better. Not as good as it needs to be, especially in these cars,” he said.
“I think in last year’s cars we wouldn’t be complaining.
“With this year’s cars we complain about everything.”
Norris enjoyed a successful weekend in Austin, coming home in a highly respectable P6, whilst his teammate Daniel Ricciardo finished in P16, with only Nicholas Latifi and the retired cars behind him.
“DRS was huge today,” he explained.
“We had such a big headwind on the back straight, as you had DRS you could gain six tenths or even more in one lap.
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“So it helped me, made my life a little bit easier.
“But I think if I made one too many mistakes, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
Norris is currently sitting seventh in the drivers’ championship, ahead of both Alpine drivers and only bettered by the Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull drivers.
This is a highly impressive feat considering how far off the pace the McLaren was at the start of the season and compared to how impressive the Alfa Romeo and Alpine cars have proven.