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Max Verstappen's aggressive driving style may have contributed to his rear wing failure at Silverstone, according to former F1 driver Christian Danner. The four-time world champion crashed out while running third after a DRS flap issue, his second such failure in three races. Danner told Motorsport-Magazin that Verstappen's technique of loading the front axle aggressively on corner entry places unique demands on the rear wing that teammate Isack Hadjar does not replicate, raising questions about whether Red Bull's design suits Verstappen's approach.
The pattern behind the failures
Verstappen's Silverstone crash bore an uncanny resemblance to his qualifying shunt in Austria. Both incidents involved a rear wing malfunction that robbed the RB21 of downforce for several critical milliseconds. At Silverstone, Verstappen had been managing a frustrating weekend in which Red Bull ignored his setup requests, yet he was still poised to salvage third place before the failure pitched him off track.
Danner argues the similarity between the two incidents is not coincidental. "It looked exactly the same as the incident he had in Austria," Danner said. "It takes a few milliseconds before the downforce returns. That's almost inevitable because they have a relatively large opening in the rear wing. But why is this not the case with Hadjar?"
Verstappen's front-loaded technique under scrutiny
Danner's explanation centres on Verstappen's signature driving method, one that has delivered four world titles but may now be exposing a weakness in Red Bull's rear wing design. "I think it's partly down to Max's driving style," Danner said. "It's not that I'm blaming him, because he drives perfectly. But when someone fully loads the front axle and steers in directly after braking, he needs lateral grip and downforce on the rear axle sooner."
Verstappen is known for his commitment on corner entry, often turning in while still carrying heavy braking force. This technique maximises front-end grip and allows him to rotate the car early, but it also means the rear wing must recover downforce almost instantaneously after the DRS flap closes. Any delay, even milliseconds, leaves the rear tyres unsupported during the most critical phase of the corner.
Hadjar, by contrast, appears to use a smoother transition. "Hadjar clearly does this a bit more smoothly, and that's why he also has a few extra milliseconds before the downforce returns," Danner said. The rookie has not experienced the rear wing failures that have plagued Verstappen, despite running identical aerodynamic hardware.
Red Bull's design dilemma
Red Bull has publicly apologised for the failures, with team principal Christian Horner acknowledging after Silverstone that the team would consider all options to resolve the issue, including potentially removing the rear wing element altogether. Such a move would cost lap time but eliminate the risk of a repeat failure.
The FIA is monitoring the situation closely, with safety concerns now front of mind. A rear wing failure at high speed poses significant danger, not just to the driver but to those around them. If the regulator determines Red Bull's design is inherently unsafe, the team may be compelled to modify it regardless of performance implications.
What makes this situation particularly awkward for Red Bull is that Verstappen's driving style is not something the team would want to change. His aggressive inputs are a core part of what makes him the fastest driver on the grid. Yet if the RB21's rear wing cannot cope with the demands he places on it, Red Bull faces a choice: redesign the wing to suit Verstappen, or accept that the current specification is incompatible with his technique. Either way, the crashes have exposed a mismatch between driver and machine at a time when Red Bull can least afford it.
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