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Red Bull has removed its revolving rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix after the design was linked to back-to-back high-speed crashes involving Max Verstappen.
The decision follows Verstappenâs criticism of the issue as âsuper dangerousâ. The Dutchman crashed in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix before suffering another setback at the British Grand Prix, where a failure ended what had been a potential podium finish.
The problem appears to occur when the moveable rear wing changes from straight-line mode to corner mode. However, the precise nature of the malfunction remains unclear, leaving Red Bull without a confirmed explanation for why the mechanism has failed under high-speed running.
Red Bull introduced its revolving rear wing at the Miami Grand Prix, where Ferrari also raced its own version after attracting significant attention during pre-season testing. The contrasting approaches have since made the design one of the most closely watched aerodynamic developments in the field.
Following Verstappenâs British Grand Prix crash at Copse, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the team would carry out a thorough analysis. He also left open the possibility that Red Bull could abandon the solution altogether.
That review has now produced a clear short-term response: the Red Bull wing will not be used at Spa. The Race understands that the concept could return once modifications have been made, but the team has chosen not to expose Verstappen or his team-mate to the same risk this weekend.
Ferrariâs version underwent extensive on-track testing before it was raced and has remained on the car since its Miami debut. McLaren, meanwhile, abandoned plans to trial its own revolving wing in Austria.
The team will introduce a new rear wing assembly at the Belgian Grand Prix, although it is unrelated to the revolving flap. As outlined in McLarenâs latest Belgian GP rear-wing update, the assembly represents a separate development rather than an attempt to revive that specific concept.
McLarenâs revolving wing could still return in modified form later this year. For now, Red Bullâs decision underlines the immediate priority: resolving the failure mechanism before the design is trusted again at Formula 1 speeds.
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.