Max Verstappen reveals extent of spine damage after years of racing

Max Verstappen has disclosed the physical toll of his years spent racing, revealing that medical checks have shown damage to the lower end of his spine.

Speaking in Austin ahead of the United States Grand Prix, the four-time F1 champion detailed the vertical forces drivers are subjected to during a race weekend, singling out the bumpy Circuit of the Americas as a particularly brutal example.

Verstappen said the loads involved go well beyond the cornering forces drivers are usually associated with.

When going into detail on the spinal impact in Austin, Verstappen explained: "So last year, for example, you pull around 5–6G in a corner.

"But I had some impacts, like vertical loads, which were over 9G on my spine, which I can tell you is really not fun.

"And especially the older you get, you think about that more and more. That's not what you want.

"With these cars, especially under braking, you bottom out way harder because when the wings close and the ride height comes down under braking, it's actually a very stressful moment.

"I know around here, in some places, it's very bumpy under braking, and especially when there are these kinds of awkward bumps, not just bumps from the track getting older, but the surface underneath, the soil, just moving up and down, it's sometimes very hard to expect.

"Or if you're a tiny bit offline, you don't know what is there because no one really drives here sometimes. It's really not nice, and I think something people don't really understand.

"I can tell you from the checks I've had on my spine, the bottom end doesn't look that great."

[Article continues below]

Verstappen - 'It's not nice'

The Red Bull driver's comments come after years of complaints from the grid about the physical consequences of the ground-effect era, which was introduced in 2022 and forced teams to run their cars at minimal ride heights with stiff suspension to keep the floor 'sealed' against the track.

That combination was repeatedly flagged as a safety concern, leading to several drivers reporting back problems and the FIA eventually stepping in with technical directives aimed at limiting the vertical bouncing known as porpoising.

Although the ground-effect cars made way for new regulations at the start of this season, Verstappen has made clear he does not see the physical punishment as an unavoidable part of competing at the top level.

"I know that's part of racing," he said. "I know that can be part of sport, but it's also further damage from the cars we've had over the last few years.

"And now, if we continue finding this acceptable to drive on, then you are going to suffer with that much more.

"People can say, 'Yeah, but you know there are worse sports out there where you can damage parts of your body.' For sure, but that's why I'm not doing them. So, yeah, it's not nice."