VERSTAPPEN CALLS REAR WING FAILURES "SUPER-DANGEROUS" AFTER CRASHES
Max Verstappen described rear wing failures that caused crashes at two consecutive Formula One grands prix as "super-dangerous". Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull at the high-speed Stowe corner during lap 47 of the British Grand Prix whilst pursuing Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari for second place. The same component malfunction occurred during qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix the previous weekend, with the rear wing failing to close properly when straight-line mode switched off on corner entry.
Verstappen said the two incidents stemmed from different specific faults but produced identical outcomes. He stated that the rear wing failed to fully attach whilst he was turning in, causing loss of downforce and resulting in the car spinning off the track. The four-time world champion expressed frustration with Red Bull's overall performance this season, noting that he had retired from three of nine races due to car problems. He lies seventh in the championship standings, 103 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
Verstappen said he required time to "reset and try again" following the incident at Silverstone. He stated that finishing races remained his immediate priority, adding that "too many things go wrong" at present. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged Verstappen's dissatisfaction, saying he was correct not to be happy with the situation. The team confirmed it would address the repeated failures ahead of future races.