Max Verstappen said that the large full throttle area of the Baku circuit is "too undulating" and called for this part to be resurfaced before next season.
Max Verstappen said that the large full throttle area of the Baku circuit is "too undulating" and called for this part to be resurfaced before next season.
The Red Bull driver took a dominant victory in Sunday's race on the streets of Baku, but believes that a resurfacing of the 2,200 meters from turn 16 to turn 1 should be done to eradicate the bumps.
Numerous drivers complained of back pain over the weekend in Baku, but Lewis Hamilton seemed to suffer most from his obvious discomfort as he exited his Mercedes after the race.
While some cars were subjected to the attack seen throughout the year so far, other teams were faced with pure mechanical bouncing associated with car height and suspension stiffness.
Street circuits, with an asphalt not designed specifically for racing, are inherently bumpier due to natural wear and tear, but Verstappen believes Baku is too bumpy.
"It's nice to drive, but I think it's getting a bit bumpy in some places, especially now with the new cars being so stiff and low," Verstappen said when asked about the venue.
"I think the main straight is very bumpy, we have to really try to find some racing line."
"So it would be nice if that could be redone for next year. But overall I think it's a special track, also the second sector, you know, between the castle part, is quite unique I would say."
Fight with Leclerc 'would have been interesting'
When Verstappen's championship rival Charles Leclerc abandoned the race, the Ferrari driver was benefiting from a considerable advantage, albeit with an earlier stop.
Both Verstappen and Sergio Perez were ready to challenge the Monegasque before the end of the race, using the improved grip of newer tires.
But asked if there was any concern that Leclerc's strategy was the ideal way to go, the defending champion replied, "Well, as soon as we went out and they told me the gap, I think it was 12 to 13 seconds, we had a considerable gap to close."
"But then I saw his pace like, I guess, yeah. I was like, yeah, let's see if we can totally take that gap out."
"I was confident that with the car we had and the pace we had, it would have been an interesting fight to the end."