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Red Bull Ditches Rotating Wing for Spa After Crashes

7/18/2026

50 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Red Bull Racing dropped the rotating “Macarena” rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix, reverting to a conventional wing after Max Verstappen’s crashes in Austria and Silverstone.
Team principal Laurent Mekies called the decision wise and said Red Bull accepted full responsibility for the incidents.
Max Verstappen called the design super dangerous and said he will use the old wing at Spa until Red Bull proves the new one safe.

History

Historical Context

After Ayrton Senna’s fatal crash at Imola in 1994, the FIA banned movable aerodynamic devices and added chicanes to Imola and Spa-Francorchamps, reforms that helped prevent any World Championship deaths until 2014. Today, Red Bull Racing’s removal of the rotating “Macarena” wing at Spa, urged by Laurent Mekies and Max Verstappen, follows that safety-first legacy, which has already seen 33 fatalities eliminated.

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Story summary

Red Bull Racing dropped the rotating “Macarena” rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix, reverting to a conventional wing after Max Verstappen’s crashes in Austria and Silverstone.
Team principal Laurent Mekies called the decision wise and said Red Bull accepted full responsibility for the incidents.
Max Verstappen called the design super dangerous and said he will use the old wing at Spa until Red Bull proves the new one safe.

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