Max Verstappen’s recent crashes have prompted the FIA to investigate the innovative “Macarena” rear wing concept currently used by both Ferrari and Red Bull, raising questions about whether Formula 1’s governing body could require changes to a design that has so far worked flawlessly on the Ferrari SF-26.
What about the Macarena?
Max Verstappen was furious after the British Grand Prix, having suffered his second retirement in the last three races caused by a failure of the rear wing mechanism. A similar incident had already occurred during the Austrian Grand Prix, and once again the Red Bull driver was sent violently off the track after the rear wing failed to close correctly.
Unlike a conventional Formula 1 rear wing, the RB22 features a concept that closely resembles the innovative “Macarena” design first introduced by Ferrari on the SF-26. The solution has attracted considerable technical interest throughout the paddock thanks to its aerodynamic characteristics, but the recent reliability issues experienced by Red Bull have now placed the concept under the spotlight.
The FIA wants answers
The two accidents involving Max Verstappen have not gone unnoticed by the FIA, which has always placed safety at the top of its priorities.
According to a report from The Race, Formula 1’s governing body has opened discussions with both Red Bull and Ferrari—the only two teams currently using this particular rear wing concept—to better understand the circumstances behind the incidents.
Over the past few days, the FIA has reportedly called in the technical representatives of both teams to examine the safety implications of the design, despite having approved the Macarena rear wing concept used by both Ferrari and Red Bull before the start of the season.
Max Verstappen’s own comments are also believed to have influenced the decision to investigate, as the four-time Formula 1 world champion openly questioned the safety of the recurring issue.
“If it happens once, fine, these things can happen. But when it happens twice, it becomes dangerous.”
What could happen next?
It would certainly be an unusual situation if Ferrari were asked to modify its version of the Macarena rear wing despite never experiencing any reliability problems with the design on the SF-26.
However, that possibility cannot be ruled out. If the FIA concludes that additional precautions are necessary, it could require both teams to introduce extra safety measures to the rear wing mechanism. In the most extreme scenario, the governing body could even decide to ban the solution with immediate effect until any potential safety concerns have been fully addressed.
For Ferrari, such an outcome would be particularly frustrating, as the Italian team’s implementation of the concept has so far operated without any reported failures. Nevertheless, if the FIA determines that the underlying design itself presents a potential safety risk, any regulatory action would almost certainly apply equally to both Ferrari and Red Bull, regardless of their differing levels of reliability.
