Sawt Falasteen - Verstappen takes old rear wing in place of 'super-dangerous' upgrade

The four-time world champion spoke out after crashing in the final stages of the British Grand Prix, prompting a controversial safety car ending to the race, two weeks ago.

That crash followed a similar accident in practice in Austria a week earlier.

Ferrari mechanics coined the name 'Macarena' for the rotating wing's dancing action after they trialled it in pre-season testing and some practices. But the team have not used it in races.

In theory, the new wing, which has a rotating section that initiates the straight-line mode by moving 180 degrees, causes less drag and creates more speed.

Speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend's race, Verstappen said Red Bull were switching back to a tried-and-tested rear wing that opens as required for straight-line speed without any rotating parts.

For Red Bull, the wing has proved unstable when reverting to cornering mode after opening up on a straight, as Verstappen discovered when he flew off into the barriers.

"We are going back to the old one and we'll see whenever the new one is ready again to be used," said Verstappen, who had been shaken by the accidents.

The Dutchman was in a terse mood on Thursday and said little to quash persistent rumours that he may switch teams to McLaren –- in a reported swap for Oscar Piastri –- if Red Bull's performances do not improve.

Verstappen is contracted to the end of the 2028 season, but is understood to have a performance clause in his contract that permits him to leave Red Bull if he is not competing for the drivers' title.

He said that while he was upset after his crash at Silverstone, he remained committed to Red Bull.

"It's like a second family for me," he said.

"Some years, of course, you are just a little more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team nothing changes."

U.AlSharif--SF-PST