After two incidents related to its new rear wing, Red Bull decided to revert to an older version at Spa. Laurent Mekies assures that a solution will be ready for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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Red Bull believes it has found a solution. After the problems encountered with its new rear wing, internally nicknamed “Macarena”, the Austrian team confirmed that a correction would be introduced from the Hungarian Grand Prix.
This new element had been at the heart of several incidents involving Max Verstappen in recent weeks.
Two failures in two Grand Prix races
During qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen was involved in an accident linked to a mechanical problem.
A week later, at Silverstone, the Dutchman spun out while in third place. This time, the airflow had not correctly re-established itself after the closing of the rear wing’s movable flap.
While both incidents were related to the same wing, Laurent Mekies specifies that they had different origins.
“These were two distinct mechanical problems. We will have a solution for Budapest.”
Return to the old specification at Spa
While waiting for this development, Red Bull chose to revert to its old rear wing specification for the Belgian Grand Prix.
This version, equipped with a more conventional DRS system, allowed Verstappen to regain more serenity behind the wheel.
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The four-time world champion finished third at Spa, securing another podium.
“Are you talking about the old rear wing? It worked well. First, I managed to keep the car on track, and that was the priority.”
Verstappen satisfied… but not entirely
The Red Bull driver believes that this step back also improved the overall behavior of his RB22.
“We were a bit more competitive and the car’s balance was better.”
Verstappen points out, however, that Red Bull continued to encounter difficulties with the hard tires during the second stint.
“We suffered more with the hard tires. It’s as simple as that.”
Despite these limitations, the Milton Keynes team leaves Spa reassured. By finding a more predictable car and announcing a correction for its new wing from the next round in Hungary, Red Bull now hopes to definitively turn the page on these technical problems.
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