Red Bull set to return to old wing ahead of Belgian Grand Prix

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has confirmed the team are set to revert to the conventional rear wing after a handful of crashes left the four-time world champion in the barriers.

Feature image credit: Getty Images // Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull is confirmed to be going back to the conventional rear wing after following Ferrari’s lead with a 180-degree rear wing in recent races. It was first introduced by Ferrari during pre-season testing, and Red Bull followed suit, bringing their own permanent new wing from Miami.

However, across the Austrian and British Grand Prix weekends, Verstappen has suffered uncharacteristic crashes across the respective events.

On his final charge of Q3 in Austria, Verstappen spun out at the penultimate corner at the Red Bull Ring, spinning out into the barrier at the end of qualifying. This was a similar story at the British Grand Prix, where the four-time world champion spun out at Stowe, at Silverstone, late in the main race at the UK event.

After a disappointing duo of back-to-back events, Verstappen claims it’s obvious why the team are reverting to the traditional rear wing. He said:

“I think it’s quite obvious, no? So, yeah, we’ll go back to the old one and then see whenever the latest, or new one, is ready again to be used for us.”

Belgian Grand Prix: Full starting times for F1 weekend

Both of Verstappen’s recent crashes were a result of how the wing closed on the entry to corners, with issues relating to aerodynamics when the wing returned to its usual, corner-ready mode after being opened in the specified zones.

It is speculated that the issue lies in the way that the airflow is not ‘reattaching’ quickly enough to provide the downforce necessary when entering corners, after it closes.

Ferrari and Red Bull brought out this new concept as the innovative idea allows for a bigger opening, less drag and – theoretically – more straight-line speed.

Ahead of the Belgian GP, a home race of sorts for the Dutchman, having been born in Hasselt, he claims the weekend is an unknown for him. He said:

“Yeah, I don’t know. Let’s see tomorrow, to be honest. I don’t know how we are going to perform. It’s as simple as that, to be honest.”

Read more Formula 1 here:

Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.