Verstappen confirms Red Bull’s reworked "Macarena" wing will return in Hungary

Red Bull to revive controversial rear-wing concept

Max Verstappen has confirmed that Red Bull will bring its reworked rotating rear wing back to the RB22 for the Hungarian Grand Prix, one race after the team removed the development at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit first introduced the concept in Miami, where it delivered an immediate performance gain. Red Bull’s design followed Ferrari’s much-discussed “Macarena” rear wing, but featured a larger gap between its upper elements as part of its upside-down approach.

The innovation soon became a liability. Verstappen spun at the Red Bull Ring and later at Silverstone after the airflow failed to reattach quickly enough when the upper flags closed. Without the expected aerodynamic load, the car did not have the downforce required for cornering.

The incidents had different triggers, but both prompted the Laurent Mekies-led team to take action before the Belgian round. Red Bull removed the wing at Spa while it investigated the failures.

Tests and simulations behind the Hungary return

Red Bull now believes the revised component is ready for the Hungaroring. Technical director Pierre Waché had already indicated that the wing could return in Budapest, and Verstappen has now confirmed that it has been refitted to his car.

Speaking to Viaplay, the four-time F1 drivers’ champion said the team had used the intervening period to conduct additional tests and simulations.

“We assume that it has been resolved, but I obviously don’t know that,” Verstappen said. “They have carried out multiple tests and run further simulations. Hopefully it closes properly now. That is the goal.”

The Dutchman identified Red Bull’s ability to reproduce the problem under controlled conditions as an important step in the investigation.

“Fortunately, they were also able to simulate it,” he added. “It is already very good that you can reproduce the problem. Now I just hope it has been fixed, because you obviously don’t want that here either.”

A calculated risk for Red Bull

The decision puts the revised rear wing back under race conditions at a circuit where a loss of cornering performance would carry an obvious cost. Verstappen’s confirmation nevertheless makes Red Bull’s position clear: the team believes the aerodynamic benefit is worth pursuing, provided the mechanism now closes as intended.

The development will therefore be one of the key technical storylines in Hungary, following Red Bull’s decision to prioritise investigation over immediate performance at Spa. For further context on the team’s preparations, read our report on Red Bull’s confirmed fix for the Macarena rear wing ahead of the Hungarian GP.