Max Verstappen did not just lose rear downforce when Red Bull’s experimental wing failed at Silverstone. He lost trust in the car beneath him.
That matters at every circuit. At Spa-Francorchamps, where drivers attack some of the fastest corners in Formula 1, it becomes a direct safety concern.
Red Bull has removed its radical Macarena rear wing from the RB22 for the Belgian Grand Prix. The team has reverted to the conventional version used earlier this season after wing-related crashes struck Verstappen in Austria and Britain.
During Austrian Grand Prix qualifying, the wing failed to settle into its normal position and sent Verstappen into the barriers. Silverstone produced another malfunction late in the race. Verstappen lost rear grip as he turned into Stowe, spun across the circuit and ended a possible podium challenge in the gravel. Red Bull traced the incidents to different technical problems, but both failures robbed the car of downforce at the moment Verstappen needed it most.
Two Failures Destroyed Verstappen’s Confidence
The Macarena wing ranks among the most striking ideas created under Formula 1’s 2026 aerodynamic regulations. Its upper element rotates into an upside-down position when the car enters Straight Mode. That dramatic movement opens the gap between the wing elements, reduces drag and helps the car reach a higher speed on designated straights.
Ferrari introduced the concept before Red Bull launched its own version in Miami. McLaren has also explored a similar design. Several trouble-free weekends initially convinced Red Bull that the system could deliver extra straight-line performance without compromising the car when the wing moved back into its cornering position.
Austria shattered that confidence.
Red Bull’s engineers identified the cause of Verstappen’s qualifying crash and believed they had fixed it. Silverstone then exposed a separate malfunction with the same dangerous result. The wing failed to lock into its normal downforce setting as Verstappen approached Stowe.
The team has not disclosed whether an actuator, control system or another component caused either failure. Team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed that Red Bull found different faults in Austria and Britain, but he stopped short of revealing the precise mechanical details. Mekies replaced Christian Horner as Red Bull’s team boss midway through the 2025 season after previously leading Racing Bulls.
“At this point, it’s super dangerous because I could have really hurt myself,” Verstappen said after the Silverstone crash.
His anger was understandable. A driver can manage tyre wear, braking instability or poor straight-line speed. Sudden downforce loss gives him almost nothing to work with. Once the wing jams in its low-drag position, the rear tyres lose the aerodynamic load needed to keep the car planted.
Verstappen becomes a passenger before he has time to react.
Spa Leaves No Space For Doubt
Spa is the last circuit where Red Bull should continue racing a mechanism that Verstappen no longer trusts.
The lap combines long periods at full throttle with corners that demand total commitment. Drivers climb through Eau Rouge and Raidillon before charging along the Kemmel Straight. Later, they carry huge speed through Pouhon and Blanchimont, trusting the rear wing to push the tyres firmly into the track.
A jammed wing could leave Verstappen arriving at one of those corners without the grip he expects. At those speeds, a minor technical fault can become a major accident within seconds.
Speaking in the Spa paddock before the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Verstappen confirmed that Red Bull would use its older wing until engineers made the rotating version reliable again. The team has not abandoned the concept. It has simply placed the burden back on the factory to prove the mechanism can operate safely every time.
Isack Hadjar downplayed the likely performance cost of the switch. He said the difference appears far greater from outside the car than it feels from the cockpit. Red Bull still expects the standard wing to provide similar overall competitiveness at Spa.
Hadjar’s comments also confirmed that this was not simply a Verstappen problem. The same mechanism sat on both RB22 cars. Hadjar escaped the failures through good fortune, not because his car carried a safer system.
Removing The Wing Will Not Cure The RB22
Returning to the conventional wing removes the most immediate danger. It does not solve Red Bull’s wider performance problems.
The team arrived in Belgium sitting fourth in the Teams’ Championship behind Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Red Bull has struggled to match those rivals consistently under the new regulations, leaving Verstappen without a Grand Prix victory during the opening part of the season.
Hadjar has reported problems with braking feel and tyre temperatures since Red Bull introduced a major upgrade package. The car felt more manageable at Silverstone, but its pace relative to Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren remained disappointing. Rather than exposing one obvious weakness, the data showed smaller losses spread across several parts of the lap.
Red Bull now faces two distinct challenges. Its engineers must make the rotating wing safe enough to race again. They must also find the underlying speed required to fight the leading teams across a full weekend.
For Spa, the priority is far simpler. Verstappen needs an RB22 that reacts exactly as expected when he commits to a fast corner.
The Macarena wing may return later in the season. Before Red Bull bolts it back onto the car, the mechanism must reset perfectly every single time. At a track as unforgiving as Spa, Verstappen needs a car that stays planted, not a science experiment.
READ MORE: Ferrari Hit With €10,000 Fine at Spa After Bizarre Tyre Return Oversight
FAQs
Why did Red Bull remove the Macarena rear wing?
Red Bull removed it after separate failures contributed to Verstappen’s crashes in Austria and Britain. The team returned to a proven wing for Spa.
What does Red Bull’s Macarena wing do?
Its upper flap rotates during Straight Mode. This creates a larger opening, reduces drag and helps the car reach greater speeds on straights.
Will Red Bull use the Macarena wing again?
The team has not abandoned it. Red Bull may restore the wing once engineers prove that its mechanism works safely and reliably.
Why is a rear wing failure so dangerous at Spa?
Spa has several very fast corners. A driver can lose control almost instantly if the wing fails to provide the expected rear downforce.
Did Isack Hadjar suffer the same rear wing failure?
No. Hadjar avoided both failures, although his RB22 used the same mechanism and remained exposed to the same potential problem.
