Red Bull have chosen the best and worst F1 race to finally listen to Max Verstappen

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Red Bull’s decision to omit the ‘Macarena’ wing from both Max Verstappen’s and Isack Hadjar’s F1 cars this weekend could be seen in two very different lights due to the changes that the FIA have made to this year’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen’s heavy crash at the British Grand Prix left him absolutely furious. Not just because he lost out on a podium finish, but because he had fallen victim to yet another failure of Red Bull’s innovative new rear wing.

The disaster unfolded as he approached Silverstone’s high-speed Stowe corner. At upwards of 180 mph, the wing failed to close properly, which upset the balance of his RB22 and sent him careering into the gravel in front of Lando Norris’ 16,000-strong grandstand.

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Adding fuel to the fire, it later emerged that Verstappen had already been in a heated debate with Red Bull management about swapping the experimental wing out, having suffered a similar scare just one round earlier in Austria.

Red Bull appear to have finally taken the hint. Upon arriving at Spa on Thursday, keen-eyed photographers caught team engineers readying a much more traditional rear wing specification on the RB22 for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

• READ MORE: Max Verstappen is ready to go over his engineers’ heads at Red Bull after they stopped listening

Red Bull have chosen the best and worst F1 race to remove notorious ‘Macarena’ wing

Ahead of this weekend’s round of racing, the FIA announced that the 4.352-mile-long Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps would feature a whopping five separate areas in which drivers can utilise the new-for-2026 straight mode.

Straight mode’s predecessor, DRS, was utilised just twice at previous editions of the Belgian Grand Prix, with the run from turn one to Raidillon being added this year, as well as two more zones being added before and after Blanchimont.

Red Bull’s version of the alternative rear wing turned heads upon its debut, with many being stunned by the size of the opening that it offers during the straight mode areas. It was widely renowned for being even more efficient than Ferrari’s initial design.

As such, the increased amount of time that rear wings will be open during the Belgian Grand Prix indicates that the RB22 will be sorely missing its main weapon that has aided Red Bull’s superior straight-line speed this year.

On the other hand, Verstappen will be able to race with the peace of mind that he should not be falling foul of any more issues that can be attributed to the ‘Macarena’ wing not working as intended.

• READ MORE: Belgian Grand Prix predictions as F1 experts decide if Ferrari can beat Mercedes to the win at Spa

Especially considering that the run from La Source to Les Combes will see drivers have their foot pinned on the throttle without a hint of a lift. If the rear wing fails to close at any point here, a horrific crash could happen at a corner that is already notorious for nasty incidents.

Of course, safety remains paramount in F1, but Red Bull will definitely be kicking themselves for not being able to stamp out the issue before they arrived at one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar when it comes to low-drag setups.