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Red Bull's Wing Drama: Max Verstappen Sees His Future Fly Away, Literally
Two races, two wing failures: Max Verstappen has had quite enough. Red Bull investigates yet another technical blunder while rumors swirl around Max’s future.
By Kritische Hans van den Broekma - 2026-07-07T09:34:06.000Z - 2 min read
Ah, Red Bull Racing. Just when you think they're starting to get their act together, they treat us to another spectacular display of incompetence. Max Verstappen, a man with four world titles to his name, was sent digging into the gravel trap for the second time in as many races courtesy of a failing rear wing. A 'different error, but the same result,' as Verstappen noted with a blend of disbelief and pure exasperation. Round of applause for consistency, Red Bull!
To say Max has had enough would be an understatement. 'Super dangerous' and 'being zen is currently impossible' were just a few of the gems he launched into the airwaves after Silverstone. Understandable, really—who wants to serve as a test dummy for a team that makes a sport out of having critical components fail? Trailing leader Kimi Antonelli by 103 points with three DNFs this season, you'd almost think the team is actively trying to discourage Verstappen from finishing races. Just for kicks.
Even Team Principal Laurent Mekies couldn't hide his displeasure—or at least, he didn't bother trying to. 'He's right not to be happy,' Mekies admitted, as if making a groundbreaking observation. It is indeed 'extremely unpleasant' to pitch your driver into the gravel trap twice in a row at a high-speed corner. And to then claim they will do 'everything possible' to prevent it, while failing again 'today'—yes, credibility is simply oozing out.
The suspected culprit? Red Bull's 'innovative' rear wing. While most teams stick to a tried-and-tested DRS-style system, Red Bull, alongside Ferrari, came up with an unconventional mechanism that opens the wing far wider for extra top speed. McLaren tested something similar in Austria, but was smart enough not to bring it to the track. Perhaps Red Bull could have picked up the phone for some advice, instead of letting Max do the R&D work during a Grand Prix.
This entire saga unfolds at a suspiciously 'convenient' moment, right as Verstappen's management is locked in talks with 'all sensible options'—including Mercedes and McLaren—regarding his future. With performance clauses in his contract offering an exit path at the end of this season, Red Bull seems determined to show him the door. Mekies' promising statement that 'all options are open' for Spa sounds more like a threat than reassurance. The coming weeks will reveal whether Red Bull finally learns from its mistakes, or firmly points Max toward a team where wings simply stay attached.