Red Bull switches back to conventional rear wing after Verstappen crashes

What happened, where, who said it, when and the main outcome: Red Bull will revert to a conventional rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps after team tests identified a problem with their newer wing design, team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed to BBC Sport ahead of the 17-19 July race, and Max Verstappen said the team will use the older wing until the revised part is ready.

Red Bull and Ferrari had introduced a rear wing that opens into straight-line mode by rotating the top flap beyond 180 degrees, increasing the opening and reducing drag for higher straight-line speed.

Officials linked two recent high-speed incidents involving Verstappen — one at the British Grand Prix and one in qualifying in Austria — to how the wing was closing when returning from straight-line mode into cornering configuration. Mekies said tests since Silverstone revealed an issue with the wing, and Verstappen described the behaviour as “super-dangerous.”

The suspected aerodynamic disruption appears to prevent the airflow from reattaching quickly enough as the wing closes, which would momentarily reduce rear downforce and could explain the spins Verstappen experienced. Red Bull conducted a short filming-day test at Silverstone last week before deciding to revert to the conventional wing.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

Red Bull confirmed a return to the standard rear wing mechanism after team tests indicated a problem with the newer rotating top-flap design; Mekies communicated the finding to BBC Sport and Verstappen publicly supported the switch.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Red Bull will use a conventional rear wing at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on 17-19 July.
• The decision followed tests since Silverstone that found a problem with the rotating top-flap wing design.
• Max Verstappen experienced two high-speed incidents linked to the wing’s behaviour when reverting to cornering mode.