ORGANISERS of the US Grand Prix have confirmed a major change has been made for this year’s Formula One race.

After a three-week break, F1 returns with the title battle well and truly on between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

AP

US Grand Prix organisers have confirmed they have completed a major change to the track[/caption]

Getty

They said it came in light of a complaint made by Max Verstappen last year[/caption]

Getty

It comes with Verstappen and Lando Norris fighting for the title[/caption]

The rivals are separated by just 52 points with six grand prix weekends to go.

However, as the Drivers’ Championship heads into crunch time, track chiefs at this weekend’s race of Circuit of the Americas in Texas, have confirmed the course has been fully resurfaced with new asphalt.

It follows a complaint Verstappen made last year.

The Austin track has always been a bumpy ride for drivers, however, last year’s edition proved particularly problematic.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified following the race when they were found to have excessive wear on the planks underneath their cars.

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso was forced to retire mid-event after smashing up his car floor.

Verstappen, 27, won both the sprint and feature race at COTA last year on route to his third F1 title, but was very vocal about the problems he and his fellow drivers endured during the race.

The flying Dutchman said at the time: “It needs to be redone because at the moment it feels like it’s better suited to a rally car. I’m jumping and bouncing around.

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“In an F1 car probably you don’t even see it as much because, of course, we are glued to the ground because of the downforce, but the bumps and jumps that we have in some places, this is way too much.

“I don’t think it’s F1 level. I love this track.

“Honestly, the layout is amazing but we definitely need new tarmac and it needs to be a lot smoother for the coming years, because we already asking for this for I think quite a few years, and it’s not really been done.”

Fast forward to this weekend, and race promoter Bobby Epstein has revealed the Red Bull driver’s complaint was a factor in finally getting the much-needed work done.

He said: “It was mainly to get rid of the bumps. Some of that track was 12 years old, so it was time.

“I know Max gave it a pretty poor review last year, so I hope we hear something positive. I’m certain we’re going to hear, ‘This is like a totally new track. It’s fantastic’.”

As well as a resurfaced track, some of the verges have been narrowed and replaced with turf in an effort to reduce track limit violations.

 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year

Like last year, Verstappen is in the drivers seat to win the title.

However, this time he is at a disadvantage due to the fact that Norris, 24, has a quicker car and has hit a strong run of form that has seen the Brit win two of the last four races.

That being said, Norris needs to outscore Verstappen by almost nine points (8.67) every weekend to complete the greatest comeback in the sport’s history.

COTA will kick off a second series of three sprint and feature race double headers to finish the season.

A standard one-race weekend in Mexico will follow a week later before Brazil sees the penultimate sprint and feature race weekend.

This will give way to another two-week break before F1 returns in Las Vegas.

Vegas will then be followed by the final sprint weekend of the season in Qatar, before the season finale plays out in Abu Dhabi on December 8.

King Charles is jetting off from Heathrow Airport ahead of his gruelling nine-day Australia tour – with 36 engagements planned.

Charles, 75, was pictured arriving at Heathrow Airport to catch a commercial airline ahead of the eight-day trip.

Dan Charity

King Charles is on his way to Australia[/caption]

Dan Charity

The monarch was snapped en route to the airport[/caption]

Ian Whittaker

Charles will visit Australia and Samoa[/caption]

Ian Whittaker

The King has only packed three suitcases[/caption]

He was driven to the airport’s five-star Windsor Suite in a convoy of vehicles this morning.

Staff were seen picking out only three suitcases from the back of the King’s vehicle for his eight-day trip Down Under and State Visit to Samoa.

But it is understood the plane will be packed with its luggage for his royal entourage.

He will be met by Camilla in Singapore who is travelling separately after a private break.

They will both then change flights and head on to Sydney and arrive late on Friday night for an official welcome.

Charles, 75, who has been treated for cancer since he was diagnosed in February, and wife Camilla, 77, will have a ‘rest day’ on Saturday.

Claims he will watch the $20million Everest race at Randwick are believed to be wide of the mark.

He kicks off the trip in Sydney on Sunday before visiting Canberra and speaking at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next week.

It comes as several Aussie State Premieres have snubbed an invite to meet the King.

But a recent poll revealed Aussies are less in favour of ditching the King for a Republic than during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

He is flying 10,500 miles Down Under becoming the first monarch to visit since 2011.

The trip includes a party at Sydney Opera House and he will deliver a speech at Parliament House in Canberra.

He will hold a poignant face-to-face with two pioneering cancer doctors during his trip.

Despite his cancer treatment he will still pack in 36 engagements on eight days with Queen Camilla.

The trip also includes a State Visit to Samoa in the South Pacific – where he will make an address at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Charles, 75, announced he had cancer in February and spent two months off front line engagements while he had weekly treatment.

He ordered aides to “supercharge” efforts to travel to Oz in April after positive reaction to treatment.

Sources close to the King insist his treatment is on an ‘upward trajectory’ and he will travel Down Under with royal doctors.

Arlene Connolly O’Neill, 47, was seen posing with the couple’s three sons in a smiling photo on her Facebook page.

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