Red Bull Shelves Troubled 'Macarena' Rear Wing for Spa

Red Bull has shelved its rotating rear wing for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, reverting to the specification used at the start of the season while modifications are developed in Milton Keynes. The call follows two consecutive races where the 'Macarena' concept failed on Max Verstappen, causing violent crashes when the upper element did not shift back into corner mode.

Why it matters:

The failures represent more than lost points. Verstappen twice faced sudden downforce loss in high-speed corners, causing the RB22 to snap into heavy impacts that he admitted could have easily ended worse. With Spa-Francorchamps featuring five active aero zones this weekend, including the approach to Eau Rouge, running an unreliable rotating mechanism was deemed an unacceptable risk.

The details:

• The 'Macarena' concept rotates its upper element between straight and corner modes under Formula 1's active aero regulations. While similar to Ferrari's reliable design, Red Bull's mechanism is entirely different.
• Austria: During qualifying, the wing failed to return to its intended position, causing a heavy crash as Verstappen turned into a corner.
• Britain: A separate fault produced the same outcome at Stowe with four laps remaining, ending his race in the gravel.
• Reaction: Verstappen called the repeated failures "super dangerous," while team principal Laurent Mekies accepted the driver's frustration and promised a thorough investigation.

What's next:

Red Bull intends to return to the rotating concept once modifications are complete rather than abandon it permanently. In the meantime, Ferrari continues to run its own version without drama, while McLaren has yet to debut its design after shelving a planned practice trial in Austria to allow for further development.