Max Verstappen Awaits “Super Dangerous” Red Bull Wing Return in Hungary 2026

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Max Verstappen could return to Red Bull’s “Macarena” rear wing at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix after the team confirmed it had found solutions to two high-speed mechanical failures.

Red Bull removed the design after Verstappen suffered consecutive crashes at the Austrian and British Grands Prix. The second failure at Silverstone prompted the Dutch driver to describe the RB22 component as “super dangerous”.

The wing uses a rotating-flap concept originally introduced by Ferrari. However, a problem within the mechanism prevented the airflow from reattaching correctly after the flap closed, compromising the car’s rear stability at high speed.

Read AlsoRed Bull Prepares Max Verstappen Wing Fix for 2026 Hungarian GP

Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies stressed that the incidents in Austria and Britain resulted from two separate mechanical problems. The team has now prepared a fix that is expected to be available in Budapest.

“It was mechanical, and it was two different things. So there were two separate mechanical issues. We will have a fix for Budapest,” Mekies said.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache explained that the underlying cause was fully identified only after the Silverstone crash. Since then, the team has focused on proving that the revised version is completely safe before returning it to the car.

“We fixed it and are now trying to prove that it is bulletproof. We do not want to take any risk and want to be 100 per cent sure before putting it back on the car,” Wache said.

Wache also confirmed that the FIA was satisfied with Red Bull’s technical explanation. The decision not to use the wing in Belgium was therefore based on the team’s own caution rather than any restriction from the governing body.

Red Bull reverted to an older and more conventional rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix. Verstappen finished third and felt the car was slightly better balanced and more competitive than it had been during several previous rounds.

“The old rear wing performed well. I kept the car on the road, which is the first important thing. We were a little more competitive and the balance was slightly better,” Verstappen said.

He nevertheless acknowledged that Red Bull continued to struggle on the hard tyre. The podium in Belgium demonstrated that the older design was safer, but it did not completely resolve the RB22’s broader performance limitations.

Verstappen is also unsure whether the Hungaroring’s characteristics will automatically favour Red Bull. The circuit is less energy-starved than Belgium, but its sequence of corners demands strong cornering performance, an area that remains uncertain for the car.

The possible return of the “Macarena” wing in Hungary will therefore represent a double test. Red Bull must prove that the mechanical fix has removed the crash risk while also demonstrating that the aerodynamic benefit is significant enough to improve Verstappen’s competitiveness before the summer break.