Red Bull to Probe Rear-Wing Failure as Mekies Backs Verstappen Fury

Max Verstappen's British Grand Prix ended in the gravel at Stowe after a rear-wing failure sent him spinning, leaving team principal Laurent Mekies in full agreement with the reigning champion's furious reaction. With a violent qualifying crash at the Red Bull Ring still fresh, Mekies admitted Verstappen had every right to be angry as Red Bull scrambles to prevent another high-speed failure.

Why it matters:

Consecutive weekends have brought two frightening failures on fast corners, eroding confidence in Red Bull's reliability at a crucial stage of the season. Verstappen's patience is wearing thin, and the team must convince both its star driver and the paddock that these are isolated faults rather than evidence of a fundamental flaw in its rear-wing philosophy.

The details:

• Separate causes: Mekies confirmed the Silverstone malfunction was a different failure from the Austria crash, though both stranded Verstappen in the gravel. Data showed the wing did not close properly, triggering the spin.
• Safety concerns: Verstappen called the incident "super dangerous." Mekies refused to downplay the anger, conceding it is unacceptable to let drivers down at high speed.
• 'Macarena' scrutiny: The failures have intensified focus on Red Bull's rotating rear-wing concept, adopted this season after Ferrari pioneered the design. Mekies noted the package has run since Miami without trouble, but said the team will investigate whether the concept itself is at fault.
• Open investigation: Red Bull claims it understands the Austria failure and is conducting an exhaustive Silverstone review. Mekies vowed to "leave no stone unturned" and keep "all the options open," including a potential redesign.

What's next:

Red Bull faces a race against time to implement fixes before the next round. While Mekies expressed confidence the team would get on top of the issue, the frequency of these failures means the championship leaders cannot afford another reliability scare if they are to keep Verstappen in the title fight.