Red Bull revert to conventional rear wing after Max Verstappen crashes

Red Bull will revert to a conventional rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix following two high-speed crashes involving Max Verstappen in recent races.

Reverting to a proven design

Team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed the decision to BBC Sport after the outfit discovered a recurring aerodynamic issue during a recent filming day at Silverstone.

The reigning constructors’ champions had pioneered a radical new design alongside Ferrari this season.

This innovative setup allowed the top flap to rotate more than 180 degrees, providing a larger opening and significantly reducing drag for increased straight-line speed.

‘Super-dangerous’ cornering issues

However, the advanced aerodynamic system has been directly linked to the Dutch driver’s recent incidents during qualifying in Austria and the British Grand Prix.

The underlying problem is believed to stem from airflow failing to reattach quickly enough when the wing closes on the entry to high-speed corners.

This sudden aerodynamic disruption results in a severe loss of rear downforce, which explains the uncharacteristic spins suffered by the three-time world champion.

“It’s quite obvious why,” the championship leader explained at Spa on Thursday.

“We will go back on the old one and see whenever the new one is ready again to be used by us.”

He had previously described the unpredictable handling characteristics caused by the experimental wing as “super-dangerous”.

Impact on the Belgian Grand Prix

The fast, sweeping corners of the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit demand immense aerodynamic stability, making the return to a standard straight-line mode a necessary safety precaution.

Mekies declined to elaborate further on the exact technical specifics behind the failure.

The Milton Keynes-based squad will now rely on their older, proven specification as they look to assert their dominance this weekend.