Two accidents in little more than a week, both involving Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB22, have placed rotating rear wing technology under intense FIA scrutiny. More accurately, every rotating rear wing concept currently used in Formula 1 has become the subject of a detailed investigation by the sport’s governing body, as officials seek to establish whether the technology can continue to be used safely throughout the remainder of the season.
The latest two crashes suffered by the four-time Formula 1 World Champion – the first during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and the second with only a handful of laps remaining in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone – have prompted the FIA to take a much closer look at the design, operation and reliability of rotating rear wings. While the technology has offered clear aerodynamic advantages, the recent incidents have inevitably shifted the focus from outright performance to driver safety and mechanical reliability.
On both occasions, Max Verstappen crashed after experiencing a problem with the rear wing. Red Bull has not disclosed the exact technical details behind either incident but has confirmed that two separate failures affected the rear wing on car number 3, leaving it at least partially open before the accidents. Although the team has not revealed whether the failures originated from the actuator, the control electronics or another component within the system, the confirmation that two independent malfunctions occurred has naturally increased concerns inside the Formula 1 paddock.
At Milton Keynes, engineers are continuing to investigate exactly what happened between the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone. Extensive analysis of telemetry, hardware and software data is understood to be ongoing as the team searches for the root cause of the failures. Max Verstappen himself made it clear after both incidents that he believed the situation had been extremely dangerous, explaining that he could easily have been seriously injured on either occasion.
He admitted that he had been fortunate to escape without major consequences in Austria and again at Silverstone, adding that experiencing the same type of problem twice within such a short period had become extremely frustrating and unacceptable from a safety perspective.
Red Bull has therefore demonstrated that it has a genuine issue with its rotating rear wing system. So far, the Austrian-British team’s design was developed over a considerably shorter period than Ferrari’s and remains the only rotating rear wing to have suffered failures during Formula 1 race weekends.
Ferrari’s solution, by contrast, has operated flawlessly since its competitive debut. The Maranello team’s device, nicknamed the “Macarena” by Frédéric Vasseur from its earliest track appearances and introduced over the full Miami Grand Prix weekend, has continued to provide encouraging signs of strength, reliability and consistent performance every time it has been used on track.
The difference between the two development programmes may prove to be one of the key elements in the FIA’s investigation. Ferrari spent a significantly longer period refining and validating its concept before introducing it into competitive action, whereas Red Bull accelerated its own programme in order to introduce a comparable solution as quickly as possible. Although both teams ultimately pursued the same objective of reducing aerodynamic drag on the straights, the engineering paths followed to achieve that goal appear to be substantially different.
Even so, the FIA has decided to examine both rotating rear wing concepts, those developed by Red Bull and Ferrari alike. That decision is hardly surprising, as safety remains the Federation’s highest priority regardless of which team is involved. The Max Verstappen crashes have inevitably raised concerns, making it entirely appropriate for the FIA to investigate in much greater depth how these systems operate under all possible conditions.
Unlike a conventional DRS mechanism, these devices not only open the upper rear wing flap but rotate it significantly to further reduce aerodynamic drag whenever Straight Mode is activated, creating a more extreme low-drag configuration than traditional systems.
The FIA already possesses the complete technical documentation for both designs through the normal approval process but is reportedly seeking a much more detailed understanding of their operation in real-world racing conditions. Meetings have therefore been scheduled with the technical leadership of both Ferrari and Red Bull to assess the situation thoroughly, review the available data and determine whether additional safeguards, revised operating procedures or even technical measures may be required before the technology continues to be used.
Ferrari, which was the first team to introduce a rotating rear wing, can point to an impeccable reliability record throughout Formula 1 race weekends. That achievement is largely the result of a significantly longer development and testing programme than any of its rivals undertook.
After several weeks of continuous refinement, simulation work and track validation, the actuator used on the SF-26 has long been perfectly calibrated, both in terms of its closing speed—which must return to its normal position in less than four-tenths of a second, as required by the regulations—and the durability, resistance and long-term reliability of the materials used throughout the mechanism.
That careful preparation has allowed the Italian side to introduce the system with complete confidence. Since its first appearance, the “Macarena” has functioned exactly as intended during practice sessions, qualifying and Grands Prix alike, without producing any signs of mechanical weakness or inconsistent behaviour. From Ferrari’s perspective, that reliability record provides one of the strongest possible arguments in favour of the continued legality of its solution.
For that reason, Ferrari has no intention of giving up the competitive advantage created by what was initially considered a bold and highly innovative engineering concept, one that has since become a benchmark for the rest of the Formula 1 paddock. When Straight Mode is activated, the flap rotates by approximately 225 degrees clockwise, and throughout its time on track the actuator has never experienced a malfunction, allowing the car to achieve a significant reduction in aerodynamic drag on the straights while maintaining complete operational reliability. The aerodynamic benefits have contributed to higher straight-line speeds without compromising safety or consistency.
The Maranello team can therefore rely on the fact that its device has never presented any reliability or safety concerns, strengthening its case for continuing to use the “Macarena” without restrictions for the remainder of the Formula 1 season. There is another important argument in Maranello’s favour as well: Ferrari’s engineering solution differs substantially, both structurally and conceptually, from the design developed by Red Bull’s engineers in Milton Keynes. Although the two concepts pursue the same aerodynamic objective, they are not identical in the way they achieve it.
According to those familiar with the project, the Red Bull concept appears inherently less robust if the closing mechanism suffers a malfunction. Ferrari’s architecture, by comparison, is believed to incorporate different structural characteristics and mechanical solutions that reduce the likelihood of the flap remaining open if a component fails. Those engineering differences could ultimately become extremely important during the FIA’s assessment, particularly if the governing body concludes that the safety characteristics of the two systems are fundamentally different despite their similar purpose.
As for Red Bull’s system, if Max Verstappen’s rear wing did indeed remain open immediately before both crashes, it would first indicate that the device failed to return to its closed position within the 400-millisecond limit established by the regulations. More importantly, the fact that two different failures prevented the wing from closing altogether would represent a significant safety concern, not only for Max Verstappen himself but also for any competitors running nearby, particularly at the extremely high speeds reached on Formula 1 circuits.
A rear wing remaining in its low-drag configuration when it should have returned to its normal position could dramatically alter the balance of the car, especially under heavy braking or through high-speed corners. That possibility explains why the FIA is treating the issue with such seriousness and why it is carefully evaluating whether the current technical safeguards remain sufficient.
Article C1.2 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations states that the stewards may prohibit the participation of any car whose construction is considered dangerous. It further specifies that, if relevant information comes to light during a session, such a decision may take immediate effect. Those provisions give the governing body broad authority to intervene whenever a component presents an unacceptable level of risk, regardless of the competitive implications for the team involved.
It is also important to remember that the FIA has the authority to ban the rear wing of a single team if it is deemed unsafe, without necessarily affecting similar concepts developed by rival teams. If one design proves unreliable while another continues to operate safely, consistently and in full compliance with the regulations, the governing body can act only against the problematic solution rather than outlawing the entire concept. In other words, the FIA is not obliged to prohibit every rotating rear wing simply because one implementation has encountered reliability problems.
That is precisely why the Italian side remains confident in Maranello, while Red Bull faces increasing pressure in Milton Keynes to identify the root cause of the failures and resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The coming days and weeks could therefore prove decisive, not only for Red Bull’s championship ambitions with Max Verstappen but also for the future of rotating rear wing technology in Formula 1.
While Ferrari appears well positioned to continue using its proven “Macarena” system, Red Bull must now convince the FIA that its own solution can meet the same standards of safety and reliability before the governing body reaches any final conclusions.
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