Red Bull Opens Macarena Wing Probe After Second 'Super Dangerous' Verstappen Spin

Max Verstappen has strongly criticized Red Bull's Macarena rear wing, calling it "super dangerous" after the device failed and caused his second high-speed spin in as many race weekends at the British Grand Prix. The Dutchman lost control at Stowe corner when the rotating wing refused to reattach properly after a straight-line mode zone, sending his RB22 into the gravel and hard into the barriers. Team principal Laurent Mekies has committed to an exhaustive investigation to determine whether the concept itself is flawed.

Why it matters:

When a four-time world champion suffers two high-speed losses of control in eight days, the issue extends beyond lost points. The Macarena wing failure strips away critical downforce mid-corner, creating a sudden handling imbalance that Verstappen warned could seriously injure a driver. With Red Bull having run the concept since Miami without major trouble, the back-to-back failures suggest the design may have reached a reliability limit.

The Details:

• Verstappen spun at Stowe after the Macarena wing failed to close correctly following a straight-line mode deployment, replicating the sudden downforce loss he suffered at Turn 9 during Austrian GP qualifying one week earlier.
• Although the gravel trap slowed the car, the RB22 still struck the barrier hard on the left side, underscoring the violence of the impact.
• Verstappen told media the Silverstone outcome was identical to Austria's despite a "different fault," explaining that the partial wing attachment made the car impossible to control.
• Mekies confirmed the team has raced the concept since Miami but admitted it is "too early" to know if the problem lies with the design itself or another factor.
• The Frenchman described the latest failure as a "different type of issue" compared to Austria, but conceded that distinction offers little comfort given the equally dangerous result.

What's next:

Red Bull faces immense pressure to diagnose the root cause before the next round. Mekies has promised to "leave no stone unturned" and keep every option open, including abandoning the concept entirely if the investigation reveals a flaw. For Verstappen, who narrowly escaped injury in both incidents, the priority is clear: a definitive fix, and fast.