Red Bull Racing has decided to revert to its original rear wing design for the 2026 season after two concerning situations experienced by Max Verstappen with the new “Macarena” wing design. The incidents that occurred in recent races have prompted a review of this critical vehicle component.
The first to introduce the innovative wing design was rival team Ferrari, which, during winter testing, presented a wing mechanism that rotated 180 degrees, reducing drag on the straights. Red Bull followed suit by introducing its version during the Miami Grand Prix, but with a different system.
However, problems quickly arose for Red Bull. Verstappen suffered a heavy crash during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix due to a failure in the wing’s operation. A similar incident occurred at the British Grand Prix when he lost control of the vehicle at Stowe.
After these setbacks, the team has reverted to its conventional wing configuration. “We will go back to the old one and see when the new one is ready to be used,” Verstappen recently confirmed.
Sources from Red Bull have indicated that the team is continuing to work on modifications to address the safety issues associated with its innovative design. The FIA, after the incidents, has decided to examine both teams’ wings more closely to ensure drivers’ safety. While Red Bull is required to make changes for reliability reasons, Ferrari has not expressed substantial concerns about its design, which has been functioning effectively.
Additionally, McLaren, another team that developed an inverted wing, has decided to postpone testing of its version until new improvements are made to the design.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
