Red Bull Racing has launched a comprehensive investigation into its active aerodynamics system after a second consecutive rear wing failure caused Max Verstappen to crash out of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
The four-time world champion lost control of his RB22 at Stowe corner on lap 48 while running in fourth place, triggering a race-ending safety car.
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The incident follows a similar aerodynamic malfunction during qualifying at the previous race weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the 52-lap race ahead of Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, while Verstappen was left empty-handed despite recovering well from a seventh-place grid slot.
Team data confirmed the wing failed to close properly on the straights, severely compromising the car's downforce and stability.
Different Defect, Same Outcome
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies stated that early assessments indicate a different technical defect triggered the latest failure, though the catastrophic outcome remained identical to the failure experienced in Spielberg.
“We understand what happened at the Red Bull Ring. We are not going into details because I think that would not be right.
But we understand the cause of the error,” Mekies said.
The team introduced its extreme 160-degree rotating active rear wing configuration in Miami in late 2025, but the recent accidents have cast severe doubt on the reliability of the concept ahead of the upcoming high-speed Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
