Verstappen reverts to old rear wing, future uncertain

Red Bull has reverted to a conventional rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen suffered two high-speed crashes in Austria and Britain due to a faulty rotating wing. The Dutch driver described the behavior as 'super-dangerous' and said he was 'lucky' not to be injured Source: CNA. Team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed that tests after Silverstone identified a problem with the wing Source: CNA.

The wing issue

Verstappen's French teammate Isack Hadjar, who did not experience the same problems, expressed hope the ditched wing could return soon. 'I guess I got lucky for two rounds in a row,' he said Source: CNA. The 'Macarena' rear wing, which rotates 180 degrees for more speed, had been used by Ferrari and Red Bull.

Future uncertainty

Amid speculation linking him to McLaren, Verstappen left his F1 future open again, stating he would announce any news himself Source: AP. However, he praised his relationship with Mekies as 'really good' and 'very open and transparent' Source: AP. Verstappen has a contract through 2028 but has kept his plans ambiguous in previous seasons. McLaren CEO Zak Brown appeared to rule out a move, saying current drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are 'not going anywhere' Source: AP. Verstappen has also publicly considered leaving F1 over concerns about 2026 car regulations.