Red Bull First to Run Ferrari’s Upside‑Down Rear Wing, Opens Gap Wider

TL;DR: Red Bull became the first F1 team to run Ferrari’s upside‑down rear wing, opening the flap wider than Ferrari’s design. In Miami FP1, Max Verstappen was 0.3 seconds off Charles Leclerc’s pace with the new wing.

Several teams said they had examined the concept, but Red Bull was the first to implement it on a car. The team adjusted the wing’s mechanism and attachment points, which required a subtle change to the third profile near the centreline.

The modification allows the wing to open farther than Ferrari’s version, creating a larger gap between the top flap and the endplates when in straight‑line mode.

Red Bull revised the rear wing mechanism and attachments, necessitating a subtle altering of the third profile near the centreline.

In Miami FP1, Max Verstappen ran the second‑fastest lap with the new wing, trailing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.3 seconds.

Other teams may now evaluate whether to copy the approach, potentially accelerating development cycles for rear‑wing concepts across the grid.

The performance gap of three‑tenths of a second shows the wing is competitive, but further testing will be needed to confirm consistency over a full race distance.

Watch for Red Bull’s use of the wing in qualifying and the race at the next event, and any FIA clarification on the legality of the increased opening.