FIA Macarena wing safety probe stuns F1

Ferrari and Red Bull are both in urgent discussions with the sport’s governing body over the safety of their revolutionary revolving rear wing designs. This is a story that is moving fast, and the stakes could not be higher.

What is the Macarena wing FIA safety probe?

The FIA is in discussions with both Red Bull and Ferrari over the designs of their ‘Macarena’ revolving rear wings, following safety concerns prompted by Max Verstappen’s crash at Formula 1’s British Grand Prix.

The Ferrari and Red Bull designs are very different to what other teams run, as the upper flaps rotate much more, with Ferrari’s believed to move roughly 225 degrees clockwise when it switches into straight mode. The idea behind the wing is that by effectively flipping upside down, it dramatically reduces drag and can even induce a tiny amount of lift to help pull back on rolling resistance.

Both Ferrari and Red Bull had their design ideas approved by the FIA beforehand and will almost certainly have had to prove that there were no safety risks from the outset. The latest talks will be reviewing the behaviours of the wings, which must transition between straight mode when open and corner mode when closed within 400 milliseconds.

Why Verstappen’s crashes triggered the investigation

For the second consecutive race weekend, Max Verstappen crashed due to an issue with Red Bull’s rear wing, although the four-time world champion immediately stressed that the two failures were caused by different problems.

Verstappen retired in the closing stages at Silverstone after spinning into the gravel at Stowe, the second time in as many race weekends he had been caught out by a rear wing issue in a high-speed corner. The incidents were linked to the rear wing not returning as intended after running in straight-line mode.

Verstappen did not hold back. “While turning into the corner, the rear wing is not fully attaching and you lose a lot of downforce, you just spin off the track. At that point it’s super dangerous, because you can really hurt yourself, two times. I was lucky in Austria, I was lucky here, but that’s why you get really fed up with it.”

You can read more about the Silverstone weekend chaos in our report on why Verstappen’s crash and Antonelli’s failure rocked Silverstone.

What the Macarena wing FIA safety probe means for Spa

The timing of this Macarena wing FIA safety probe could not be worse for Red Bull. Red Bull has until July 17 to solve its issue, when F1 returns to the track at Spa. An ill-functioning rear wing is never ideal, but Spa presents a particular stress test with its high speeds.

The technical team would rather avoid reverting to an older wing, as it would represent a step backwards in terms of drag reduction and therefore outright performance. That is particularly significant at an energy-starved circuit such as Spa, where energy management is once again expected to play a crucial role. That makes every bit of drag reduction valuable.

Interestingly, McLaren brought its own rotating rear wing to Spielberg for the first time but chose not to use it, citing readiness concerns, and did not run it at Silverstone due to the sprint format, meaning Spa could become its first real test. In light of Red Bull’s recent problems, McLaren’s cautious approach is easy to understand.

Could Red Bull drop the wing entirely?

That could even mean, if Red Bull cannot be convinced its revolving rear wing is fault proof, going back to the more conventional design that it used at the start of the season. A decision on that would rest on whether there is a link between the Austria and Silverstone incidents related to the wing concept, or if other factors were in play.

Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies was apologetic but clear. “We are going to review the full area to make sure we leave zero chance for that to happen again,” he said. Leaving zero chance of a repeat effectively means that every option remains on the table, including not using the rotating rear wing at Spa.

For more context on what Red Bull must do next, see our piece on Verstappen’s power unit crisis.

Ferrari is also in the FIA’s spotlight

It is not just Red Bull facing heat from the Macarena wing FIA safety probe. Verstappen’s latest incident, and his concerns about the situation being dangerous, has prompted the FIA to get involved. Motor racing’s governing body always prioritises safety, and the Verstappen crashes have now prompted it to chase a better understanding of the revolving wing designs from the two teams running them.

However, Red Bull’s team boss stopped short of blaming the design itself, stressing that the package has already completed multiple race weekends without incident while making it equally clear that nothing will be ruled out during the investigation.

Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc’s win at the British GP showed Ferrari’s car is performing at the front. Dropping the Macarena wing would be a significant step back for the Scuderia too. Both teams now face a very difficult decision before Spa.

The FIA has not yet indicated what action, if any, it will take following these safety discussions. But with Spa’s legendary high-speed corners just around the corner, a resolution is needed fast. Follow the latest race news and standings on our 2026 British Grand Prix results page.