The FIA sat down with Red Bull and Ferrari after Max Verstappen’s two crashes during the Austrian and British Grands Prix. This is revealed by top official Nikolas Tombazis. At that time, the two teams were the first to have the so-called ‘Macarena’ wing on their cars. However, it was problems with this component that caused Verstappen to lose control of his car twice. “We therefore held extensive consultations to ensure that these designs were safe,” said Tombazis.
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Ferrari was the first to take the lead during the test days in Bahrain and brought a radical concept for the rear wing as the first team. The component was quickly nicknamed the ‘Macarena’ wing, due to the rotating movement the wing makes once it opens. Red Bull followed in Miami with their own rear wing concept. According to technical director Pierre Waché, Red Bull did not copy Ferrari but had been working on their own version for months.
The ‘Macarena’ wing initially seemed to work well for both teams until Max Verstappen ended up in the gravel twice during the Austrian and British Grand Prix weekends. Both times, a problem with the rear wing was the cause. The FIA launched an investigation into the component at both Ferrari and Red Bull.
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“We held extensive consultations to ensure that these designs were safe,” FIA top official Nikolas Tombazis said during a recent media session. “We especially wanted to be sure that there was never a risk of, let’s say, a hydraulic failure, causing the wing to remain open and not return to the closed position. Moreover, we wanted to ensure that (closing the wing, ed.) happens in a very short time. That it is not a slow movement that could then unbalance the car.”
Work to be done at Red Bull
Following the investigation, the FIA sees no reason to ban the wing. However, according to the governing body, extra work was still needed at Red Bull. “We discussed these matters, and based on those conversations, Red Bull wanted to do some extra work,” Tombazis continues. “We did not specifically tell them: ‘No, you may not race with it.’ However, they had to do some extra work just to be sure, because ultimately they also want their car to be safe. I don’t think anyone wants their car to crash.”
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