Red Bull arrived at Spa-Francorchamps having abandoned the experimental rotating rear wing that contributed to two high-speed crashes for Max Verstappen in as many race weekends. The so-called ‘macarena’ wing, which pivots its main element to reduce drag when the DRS is activated, malfunctioned during qualifying in Austria and again in the race at Silverstone, pitching the Dutchman into the barriers. The team has reverted to a conventional design for the Belgian Grand Prix while engineers in Milton Keynes work to salvage the concept.

The technical setback compounds a difficult 2026 campaign for the four-time champion, who sits seventh in the drivers’ standings with 76 points, 103 adrift of the leader. That leader is Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian who has won five of the season’s nine races and holds a 25-point advantage over teammate George Russell. Antonelli’s rise, following a debut season in 2025, mirrors Verstappen’s own precocious start a decade earlier: both claimed their first victory in their second season, Verstappen in Spain 2016 and Antonelli in China this year. Yet while Antonelli thrives, Verstappen has not won a race in 2026, his best result a second place in Austria.

Against this backdrop, speculation over Verstappen’s future has intensified. In the Spa paddock, the Dutchman offered only monosyllabic replies when asked about his plans, refusing to confirm he would remain at Red Bull next season. ‘There’s nothing to say from my side,’ he repeated. Yet his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, told Austrian media that Verstappen intends to honour his contract until 2028 and will not activate an exit clause, even if the team fails to place him in the top two of the championship. Brazilian outlets reported that meetings between Verstappen’s camp and McLaren did take place this season, but Vermeulen described them as routine. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, speaking to Australian media, acknowledged the ‘noise’ but insisted he is ‘not going anywhere’, pointing to his own long-term deal and the team’s assurances.

The driver market chatter is fuelled by a reshaped competitive order under the 2026 technical regulations, which have elevated Mercedes and Ferrari while McLaren, last year’s constructors’ champions, have slipped. Piastri, who won here a year ago, now lies sixth with 82 points after a run of poor luck and reduced pace. Verstappen, meanwhile, has been the most vocal critic of the new generation of cars, publicly questioning their drivability and even hinting at an early exit from the sport. For the third consecutive season, he enters the summer break with his future unresolved, though in previous years he recommitted to Red Bull shortly after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Belgian race offers Antonelli a chance to extend his championship lead, while Red Bull’s immediate priority is to give Verstappen a car he can trust through Eau Rouge and beyond.