The US GP change that could hand Verstappen critical advantage

Max Verstappen heads to the United States Grand Prix in Austin looking to make it four consecutive victories at the Circuit of the Americas.

However, unlike the previous three trips to COTA, neither the Dutchman, nor Red Bull, is in race-winning form.

Not since the Spanish Grand Prix, in June, has the 27-year-old crossed the chequered flag first - a stretch of eight rounds and counting.

It is his longest win-less run since 2020 and the nexus of the issue is twofold. Whilst the opposition, particularly McLaren, has gotten stronger, Red Bull has simultaneously developed backwards.

The more it has added to the RB20, the more unbalanced the car has become. This has led to a disconnect between front and rear, something that is especially damaging to lap time during the current regulatory era.

Another specific problem Red Bull has endured is the RB20's inability to efficiently ride kerbs and perform on bumpy track surfaces, such as street circuits.

Whilst Red Bull has remained somewhat competitive over a single lap, its performance during grands prix has fallen considerably shy of the MCL38.

In both the Dutch and Singapore Grand Prix, Norris cantered to victory by over 20 seconds from Verstappen. Even more remarkable, is that the weekend in Marina Bay, a street venue, went significantly better than Red Bull anticipated and yet the delta remained.

Alleviated COTA concerns

Nevertheless, it was undoubtedly a step forward for the team and the RB20 is expected to be the recipient of significant upgrades at COTA as Verstappen attempts to fend-off Lando Norris in the F1 drivers' champions and Red Bull looks to claw back its 41-point deficit to McLaren in the constructors' standings.

Whether those developments have the intended impact will not be known until track action begins. Even then, it might not be until the sprint on Saturday that the new race pace order can be defined.

Even if those updates do not have the desired influence on the F1 pecking order, another potential saving grace for Verstappen and Red Bull comes in the form of a recent track change at COTA.

The bumpy track surface at the United States Grand Prix has posed difficulties for the teams of late, something that led to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's disqualifications from last year's race.

This season, those issues would likely have been exacerbated in Red Bull's case, given the RB20's inability to handle such circuit conditions and despite the fact Verstappen has not lost in Austin since the current rules set was introduced in 2022.

However, a recent track resurfacing - the first since COTA opened in 2012 - is thought to have sufficiently reduced the bumps, a move that can only advantage Red Bull and Verstappen in the respective championship battles.

It may not prove the difference between finishing in the lower reaches of the points and victory, but at the least it might minimise any hurt imposed by Lando Norris and McLaren in the Lone Star State.