Max Verstappen ditches "Macarena" rear wing for Spa's Belgian Grand Prix

The decision comes after the Dutchman crashed twice due to a malfunction in the novel wing design where the movable flap rotates instead of opening and closing for straight-line mode, a concept only adopted by Ferrari and Red Bull Racing.

While Ferrari have not faced any issues with their version of the "Macarena" rear wing, Red Bull Racing have struggled to make it work, especially on Verstappen's car, while Isack Hadjar has not had any troubles.

The Frenchman commented: "I guess I ⁠got lucky for two rounds in a row. It could have happened to none of us and it could have ​happened four times to the both of us."

But now it appears the Milton Keynes squad have an issue with their design, according to team principal Laurent Mekies, who told the BBC that tests showed a problem.

Speaking to the media in Spa on Thursday, Verstappen confirmed the rear wing will be taken off his car, he said: "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."

On a track like Spa, keeping in mind the power-deprived 2026 F1 cars, Red Bull Racing may be on the back foot without their "Macarena" wing, which reduced drag and boosted their top speed significantly.

Asked about his expectations for the race this weekend in terms of performance, Verstappen said: "Let’s ​see tomorrow [Friday practice], to be honest.

"I don’t know ​how we are going to perform. It’s as simple as that. It’s better not to think about ​it too much and just go out," the Red Bull Racing ace concluded.

These issues are coming at the worst time imaginable for Red Bull Racing, with speculation rife regarding Verstappen's future with them. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)