Red Bull’s Desperate Ploy to Ban Ferrari’s “Macarena” Wing

The 2026 Formula 1 season has been defined by active aerodynamics, and no single innovation has been more polarizing than the radical, rotating “Macarena” rear wing. But after watching Max Verstappen violently crash out of both the Austrian and British Grands Prix due to rear wing failures, Red Bull Racing is reportedly trying to take the entire concept down with them.

According to a technical report from Formula Tecnica, Red Bull is actively pushing the FIA to implement a blanket ban on all “Macarena-style” wings if the governing body decides to outlaw Red Bull’s specific design.

It is a textbook Milton Keynes political play: if they can’t engineer a safe version of the trick, they don’t want Ferrari running it either.

The Anatomy of a Failure

To understand why Red Bull is suddenly lobbying the FIA, you have to look at the fundamental mechanical differences between the two concepts. The latest technical diagrams illustrate exactly why Ferrari’s design works and why Red Bull’s design is currently a massive liability.

Both wings are designed to flip entirely upside down to shed immense amounts of drag on the straights—a brilliant exploitation of the 2026 active aero regulations. However, the actuation geometry is completely different.

Ferrari’s SF-26 utilizes a side-mounted actuator that rotates the flap counterclockwise. When Charles Leclerc hits the brakes, the natural aerodynamic downforce actually assists the wing, pushing it back into its closed position and allowing the airflow to rapidly reattach.

Red Bull’s RB22, conversely, utilizes a center-mounted actuator that pushes the flap clockwise. When it is time to close, Verstappen’s wing is forced to fight against the massive aerodynamic pressure. This delay leaves the wing completely stalled for a fraction of a second, causing an instant, catastrophic loss of rear downforce. That exact aerodynamic stall is what pitched Verstappen into the gravel at the Red Bull Ring and again at Silverstone’s high-speed Copse corner.

Red Bull’s Desperate Political Ploy

Following Verstappen’s back-to-back crashes, the FIA launched a deep investigation into the safety of the mandated 400-millisecond closing time for these active flaps. With the ultra-high-speed Belgian Grand Prix looming at Spa-Francorchamps—a track where this drag-reduction system is practically mandatory for a competitive lap time—Red Bull knows they are in serious trouble.

Ferrari engineered a brilliant, stable solution that they have been running without issue. But Red Bull engineered an aggressive imitation that is currently endangering their star driver. Demanding a blanket ban from the FIA isn’t about paddock safety; it’s about neutralizing a massive Ferrari advantage that Red Bull simply hasn’t figured out how to safely replicate.

Fortunately for the Scuderia, paddock insiders currently view Red Bull’s push for a blanket ban as highly “unlikely.” If Red Bull can’t fix their actuator mechanics before Belgium, they might be the only front-running team forced to park the Macarena wing.