COTA to get additional kerbs after Verstappen controversy

FIA race director Charlie Whiting has confirmed that some new, low kerbs will be added at the Circuit of The Americas following the controversy surrounding Max Verstappen's exceeding of track limits at the end of last year's race.

Verstappen was hit with a controversial post-race penalty at the United States Grand Prix after he was deemed to have driven off-track while completing a last-lap pass on Kimi Raikkonen to claim third position, prompting an angry response from the Dutchman towards the race stewards.

While Whiting said there would be no widespread change in approach from F1regarding track limits, changes would be made in reaction to issues from 2017, with COTA being cited as one example.

"[There will be] no change of approach, but again, as we did between 2016 and 2017, if you remember Mexico 2016 we had Lewis cutting across the first corner and that didn’t happen [in 2017] because of the measures that we took there," Whiting said.

"I think everywhere that we go now, we really are getting much closer to eliminating everything. COTA for example, needless to say there will be some low kerbs in the area where Max went off and they’ll be a couple of those bumpy kerbs like we have on the exit of the last corner on the exit of the first corner.

"But you are learning all the time. It’s a bit like squeezing a balloon, if you squeeze it at this end, a bit pops up there, if you squeeze there a bit pops out somewhere else. That’s what’s happening but I think we are very close to being at a point where we are not concerned about a driver gaining time by going off.

"We had a couple of issues in Abu Dhabi where Nico Hulkenberg went off and it was quite clear he gained an advantage, but he wouldn’t give the place back. That was expeditious to stay in front and take a five-second penalty, that was the norm. But that’s another thing we need to address."