Situation rear wing Verstappen serious problem? 'Not seen before'

That Max Verstappen 's Red Bull car has a problem with its rear wing became clear in Abu Dhabi's third free practice session. Team boss Christian Horner says the team has had some problems with the wing all year, but that the current problem is new.

It seems bad news for Verstappen and Red Bull Racing who are fighting for the 2021 title against Lewis Hamilton. In practice, the team spent much of their time tinkering and replacing the rear wing of Verstappen's RB16b. At Sky Sports F1, Horner reports more on the situation surrounding Verstappen's rear wing.

New problems for Red Bull Racing

At the start of the session the team noticed the problems and decided to replace the rear wing. The problem they encountered was an unknown one and it was the first time they saw it. Horner doesn't say exactly what the problem is, but he does say that the situation is being closely monitored.

The rear wing is going to play a particularly big role in Verstappen's fight against Hamilton, according to the team boss. The Briton believes Hamilton can only really be challenged if Verstappen drives with a thinner rear wing; less downforce, but also less drag on the straight. There is, however, no man overboard yet. Horner stresses that the team has had such issues all year and can almost always solve them.