
Red Bull vows action after Verstappen suffers second consecutive rear wing failure
Max Verstappen's British Grand Prix ended in the gravel at Stowe after a rear wing failure robbed him of downforce in a high-speed corner, the second consecutive race weekend the Dutchman has suffered an identical fate. Red Bull has accepted full responsibility and vowed to leave "no stone unturned" ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Why it matters:
Back-to-back mechanical failures at high speed are not merely costly for the championship; they represent a genuine safety concern. Verstappen made clear that losing the car through rapid corners is becoming dangerous, adding pressure on the team to fix a flaw that has already cost him a potential podium and significant points.
The details:
- The Silverstone incident saw Verstappen's rear wing fail to return to its intended position after running in straight-line mode, triggering a sudden snap and spin.
- While the outcome mirrored his Austria qualifying crash, Red Bull says the root causes were different, pointing to separate failures within the same system.
- Concept under review: The team has run a rotating upper-element rear wing since Miami, drawing comparisons to Ferrari's 'Macarena' concept. Mekies said it is too early to blame the concept itself, but confirmed every option remains open.
- Mekies admitted the team had already analysed the Austria failure but acknowledged that early signs suggest a different failure mode struck at Silverstone.
What's next:
Red Bull faces a race against time to resolve the issue before Spa-Francorchamps, where the high-speed nature of the lap will again test rear wing reliability. Mekies confirmed the team will review the entire system and do whatever is necessary to ensure there is no repeat, even if that means abandoning the current concept.
Original Article :https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-british-grand-prix-laurent-mekies-red-bull-ma...





