The FIA will set a ludicrous precedent if they use ‘dangerous’ regulation against Ferrari

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The FIA have launched an investigation into Ferrari and Red Bull’s ‘Macarena’ rear wings on safety grounds. Extreme measures could be taken, which would be laughable against the former.

Ferrari raised eyebrows in pre-season testing when they were seen using a rear wing that rotated anti-clockwise. It was a strange, but also revolutionary innovation, and it was only a matter of time before other teams adopted it.

Sure enough, Red Bull started testing their own Macarena wing, with McLaren also set to follow suit. The idea is to create greater drag reduction and increase straight-line speed, but naturally, it has had its problems.

Ferrari were planning to use the Macarena wing at the Chinese GP, but opted not to after practice. Ferrari felt the wing would not last the full race, and they uncovered another problem that Red Bull are now suffering with.

FIA could ban Macarena wing after Red Bull crashes raise safety concerns – but there’s nothing wrong with Ferrari’s

Ferrari’s Macarena wing was causing rear instability, something that Lewis Hamilton struggled with dramatically in 2025.

Ferrari also had a legality issue over the time it took for the rear wing flap to close. Subsequently, they shelved the concept and redefined it after extensive testing, and have found a solution that works.

Its anti-clockwise rotation recovers downforce and backs air away from the rear, giving the SF-26 more stability. Red Bull have not adopted the same solution, which is causing huge problems for Max Verstappen.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Verstappen crashed in qualifying in Austria after losing the rear at the penultimate corner. It was determined that a rear wing failure caused him to lose the car, and it happened again at Silverstone.

Verstappen spun at Stowe in the closing stages with another rear wing failure. He described Red Bull’s design as ‘super dangerous’, and it prompted the FIA, as per The Race, to investigate the Macarena wings.

The governing body are in safety talks with Ferrari and Red Bull. They could demand extra measures be taken to ensure that the cars are safe, or in an ‘extreme’ case, ban the Macarena wing altogether.

The FIA has the power to ‘prohibit the participation of a vehicle whose construction is deemed to be dangerous’, as per Article C1.2 of the regulations. But banning it outright would be laughable, as Red Bull are the ones with the problem.

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It is clear that the Milton Keynes outfit have a major issue to solve with the rear wing. Verstappen has suffered two crashes in the last two races with the same problem, and their design does need to be refined.

But the issues that Red Bull are facing now are what Ferrari discovered early doors with their design. Instead of using the original concept, they found the cause of the problem, made changes, and are now reaping the benefits.

It would be ludicrous for the FIA to ban the Macarena wing on safety grounds when only Red Bull have an unsafe design. Ferrari have had no issues with it during races – it should be their Milton Keynes rivals that are investigated and pressured to make necessary changes.