Verstappen issues fresh warning ahead of feared Belgian GP weekend

The four-time world champion endured another tough incident at Silverstone after the active rear wing aero system failed, in a sequence remarkably similar to the one he experienced during qualifying in Austria. Fortunately, he escaped both crashes without any injuries.

Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, a race he has won three times, Verstappen admitted it had been beneficial to have a short break following the disappointment at Silverstone, revealing that he had spent part of the week back at the factory working with the team on the simulator.

Looking ahead to Spa-Francorchamps, the Dutchman described it as his favourite circuit on the Formula 1 calendar but warned that the new energy management limitations on the long straights could make the weekend particularly challenging. Even so, he remains hopeful of a strong result, pointing to Red Bull's competitive record at the Belgian venue in recent years.

Despite the FIA's ongoing review of Red Bull's innovative rear wing concept, the team has been cleared to continue using the design during this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. The governing body is still gathering technical data from both Red Bull and Ferrari as it evaluates the so-called "Macarena" rear wing, a system designed to rotate on the straights to reduce drag before returning to its normal position ahead of corner entry.

The review follows Verstappen's recent crashes and is centred entirely on the safety and reliability of the concept rather than on any suspected breach of Formula 1's technical regulations.

At the same time, Red Bull is continuing to investigate the issue that affected Verstappen over the previous two race weekends, with the team aiming to have a permanent fix in place before the action gets underway at Spa-Francorchamps.