After two off-track excursions caused by a rear wing problem, Max Verstappen is expecting a quick response from Red Bull ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, held on the very fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
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The British Grand Prix ended prematurely for Max Verstappen after a spectacular off-track excursion in the Stowe corner.
The cause: a malfunction of the rear wing on his RB22. After a phase of using the drag reduction mode on the straight, the wing did not close properly, causing a sudden loss of aerodynamic downforce when approaching the fast corner.
The Red Bull driver then lost control of his car before ending his race in the gravel trap.
Eight days earlier, a similar incident had already occurred during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, when Verstappen spun at the entry of turn 9.
Although the technical origin was different, the consequences were the same.
“Like in Austria, it was a different problem, but with the same result. When entering the corner, the rear wing does not close completely and you lose a lot of downforce.”
“It’s extremely dangerous”
Verstappen did not hesitate to describe this failure as a real safety risk.
“At that moment, it’s extremely dangerous, because you can really get seriously hurt. I was lucky in Austria, I was lucky here too, but it’s definitely very frustrating.”
These statements carry even more weight as the FIA has confirmed that the drag reduction mode will be usable in five different zones at Spa-Francorchamps, including the approach to the famous Eau Rouge-Raidillon sequence.
A scenario that increases concerns ahead of one of the fastest circuits on the calendar.
Verstappen shifts responsibility to Red Bull
Asked about his confidence level ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, the Dutch driver believes the solution depends solely on his team.
“It’s something the team has to take care of. It’s not in my hands.”
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Beyond this technical problem, Verstappen also expects to struggle with the very characteristics of the Belgian circuit with the new 2026 cars.
“I love Spa, but it will be another difficult weekend due to energy management.”
The four-time world champion will also wait to see the weather forecast before looking further ahead.
“I will check the weather on Wednesday.”
Red Bull promises a thorough investigation
The team principal, Laurent Mekies, assured that Red Bull is carefully analyzing both incidents.
“We will do everything necessary to ensure safety.”
The team has been using this rear wing philosophy since the Miami Grand Prix, but it is still too early to determine whether the problem comes from the concept itself or a specific failure.
“We have used this wing over several races. It is still too early to say if the problem comes from the concept or something else, but we will examine everything leaving nothing to chance.”
Regarding Silverstone, Mekies specifies that the data already allows identifying an anomaly.
“We can clearly see in the data that the wing did not close properly.”
However, the Frenchman adds that the British incident differs from the one observed in Austria.
“The car has just returned and we can simply say that it is a different problem from the previous week, but that does not make it any less worrying.”
A few days before the Spa-Francorchamps event, Red Bull therefore has little time left to provide a solution. In a championship already complicated for Max Verstappen, the priority is now to guarantee reliability… and above all the safety of the RB22.
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