F1’s “Macarena Wings” Under FIA Fire After Verstappen’s High-Speed Crashes

Formula 1’s rulemakers are now scrutinizing the so-called “Macarena wings”—active rear wings that flip open at high speed—after two consecutive crashes involving Max Verstappen at the Austrian and British Grands Prix.

The FIA is investigating whether the concept itself is inherently unsafe or if Red Bull’s implementation is flawed.

The wings, which rotate 225 degrees to reduce drag and even generate lift, made their competitive debut at the Miami Grand Prix.

Ferrari’s version front-flips shut, acting as a fail-safe, while Red Bull’s backflips shut, creating a dangerous lift spike in the split second of closure.

Verstappen described the issue as “super dangerous,” noting that two near-misses in as many races were only by luck.

The FIA approved both designs before the season, but the regulation mandates that wings must transition between open and closed states within 400 milliseconds. The governing body may impose stricter rules or even ban the concept entirely for 2027.