Max Verstappen and Red Bull facing huge performance hit at Spa

As has become apparent ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Red Bull has opted not to use its 'Macarena' rear wing at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

The reason for this decision can be traced back to two serious incidents involving Max Verstappen during the Austrian Grand Prix, and again a week later in the British GP, due to the movable flap failing to close completely whilst the four-time F1 champion navigated fast, flowing corners.

The aerodynamic instability caused by the flap failing to close properly against the main wing profile drastically reduced rear-end downforce.

In high-speed corners, where strong lateral acceleration pushes the car outward, perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, the car lost the grip provided by the closed-wing configuration before sliding into run-off areas at that tangent of corners.

It was clearly a dangerous situation, given the high speeds at which the loss of rear grip occurred.

Questions from the FIA

Given the two incidents, the FIA requested an investigation into the flap’s closing mechanism. On the RB22, it consists of a single actuator positioned at the centre of the wing profile.

The main system, consisting of a tilting element that controls the opening and the return to the normal position during closure, proved, in the second phase, to be insufficiently effective in resisting the aerodynamic pressure on the underside of the flap at the leading edge. 

The engineers at the Milton Keynes-based team are still hard at work implementing the modification and producing the necessary new parts, including spares.

The validation phase on specific dynamic test benches is intended to provide the engineers, as well as the FIA, with proof that the closing mechanism no longer jams, as happened in Spielberg and Silverstone. 

With the final validation of this update underway, it was a logical decision not to use the wing again in Spa, especially given the exceptionally fast nature of the Belgian circuit.

Impact on performance

In terms of performance in returning to the old-spec rear wing, there will be a limited but noticeable loss. Verstappen reiterated this during the FIA press conference at Spa, as there will be a reduction in top speed and efficiency on the straights. 

It is difficult to quantify exactly how many kilometres per hour this will amount to. However, according to some technicians in the paddock, on the straight after Raidillon and in the high-speed section at Blanchimont, the expectation is eight to nine km/h and six km/h, respectively.

On that basis, it could prove to be another tricky weekend for Red Bull and Verstappen in Belgium.