Max Verstappen reacts to COTA boss: "He can drive my car, after five laps he won't be able to walk"

Max Verstappen: What Happened

Motorsport.com reported on Sunday, October 25, 2026 in a story involving Max Verstappen, Americas. Drivers, COTA. Here is how the report opens:

It is one of the main talking points in the Formula 1 paddock this weekend: the extreme bumps at the Circuit of the Americas. Drivers raised their concerns during Friday evening's drivers' briefing, after which Verstappen stayed behind for some time to speak further with representatives of the FIA and the circuit. Because the track was built on Texas' infamous high-plasticity clay, it suffers…

It is one of many Formula 1 stories we are following today, and 3 outlets are covering it. Below are the key takeaways, how the story is being reported across the sport, background on Max Verstappen and what to watch next.

Key Takeaways

• The story: Max Verstappen reacts to COTA boss: "He can drive my car, after five laps he won't be able to walk"
• Who’s involved: Max Verstappen, Americas. Drivers, COTA and Formula
• League: Formula 1
• First reported: Sunday, October 25, 2026 by Motorsport.com
• Coverage: 3 outlets are covering it: Motorsport.com, ESPN and The Race

How Other Outlets Are Covering It

The same F1 story, as reported by 2 other outlets:

• Kimi Antonelli reveals biggest mistakes of 2026 as Max Verstappen takes playful digMotorsport.com Current Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli has listed the mistakes he wants to learn from this season as he closes in on the title, prompting a playful dig from Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver won the…
• Toto Wolff reveals what Kimi Antonelli told him in his office before US GP winMotorsport.com Talking to Sky Sports F1 after Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed what his driver told him before the race. The Italian driver started on pole at the Circuit of…
• Car washes, pub trips and pranks: How Kimi Antonelli is staying grounded on brink of F1 historyESPN On the brink of becoming F1's youngest world champion, Kimi Antonelli reveals how car washes, pub trips and pranks help him cope with fame and pressure.
• How Verstappen lost pole to Antonelli - and nearly got beaten by HadjarThe Race Either Red Bull driver could have been on pole for F1's US GP were they not thwarted by Kimi Antonelli turning the tables through a crucial sequence of corners

Background: Max Verstappen

Max Emilian Verstappen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑks fɛrˈstɑpə(n)]; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from 2021 to 2024 with Red Bull, and has won 73 Grands Prix across 12 seasons.

Text from Wikipedia’s Max Verstappen article, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What’s Next for Max Verstappen

For fans following Max Verstappen, the next things to watch are the race results, qualifying, driver standings and constructors’ championship. Stories like this one tend to move quickly, so check back for follow-up reports and reaction as more outlets pick it up.

• Latest Formula 1 news today: every F1 headline as it breaks
• Live scores and schedules across every sport we cover
• More Max Verstappen news from around the web
• Around the Web: today’s top sports stories from every outlet