Red Bull Open to Scrapping 'Macarena' Rear Wing After Second Verstappen Failure

Red Bull is weighing a major design change after Max Verstappen suffered a second consecutive race weekend ruined by rear wing failure at the British Grand Prix. Team boss Laurent Mekies said they are open to removing the 'Macarena' rear wing introduced in Miami if the concept cannot be trusted.

Why it matters:

Back-to-back failures in high-speed corners have shaken Verstappen's confidence and raised serious safety alarms. With Formula 1 cars operating at extreme speeds, aerodynamic instability is unacceptable, forcing Red Bull to prioritize driver security over the potential performance gains of the Macarena design.

The Details:

• Silverstone Incident: In the closing stages, Verstappen spun off at Stowe when his rear wing failed to properly re-attach airflow in time. He called the moment "super dangerous."
• Austrian Echo: The issue mirrored a problem from Austrian GP qualifying, though Mekies confirmed the two failures had different root causes. Both left the driver helpless in a high-speed corner.
• Team Response: "Max is right not to be happy; it is very unpleasant for drivers to be let down by the car in high-speed corners in two consecutive races," Mekies said. He promised the team will review every detail to "leave zero chance" of a repeat.
• Concept Under Threat: The Macarena wing, which debuted in Miami, is now under review. Mekies admitted all options are possible, including reverting to an older wing concept if the team cannot guarantee reliability.

What's next:

Red Bull must quickly establish whether the Macarena concept is fundamentally flawed. With Mekies vowing to do "whatever is necessary," ditching the design for a proven alternative looks increasingly likely if absolute certainty cannot be delivered before the next round.