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Ferrari are locked in a race against time to deliver a revised version of their much-discussed ‘Macarena’ rear wing, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc set to evaluate the upgrade during a planned filming day at Monza later this month.
With a five-week gap in the Formula 1 calendar following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, the Scuderia are preparing to use valuable track time at the home of the Italian Grand Prix on April 21 or 22. The objective is clear: gather critical data ahead of a potential race introduction at the Miami Grand Prix.
Ferrari have opened the 2026 season in solid form. Leclerc sits third in the drivers’ standings on 49 points, with Hamilton fourth on 41. Yet despite that encouraging start, the SF-26 has trailed the Mercedes W17 — a car that has so far delivered wins for George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
That performance gap has intensified focus on Ferrari’s aerodynamic development, particularly the ‘Macarena’ rear wing concept that first appeared during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The revolutionary wing generated significant anticipation among the Tifosi, but its early outings raised internal concerns. After running the component in practice in China, Ferrari questioned its reliability and ultimately opted not to use it in Japan.
Data gathered in Shanghai reinforced those doubts. The iteration revealed in Bahrain was deemed not race-ready, with the rear wing contributing to balance issues around the circuit.
Most notably, both Hamilton and Leclerc struggled with rear instability under braking while turning — a lack of rear stability that proved particularly problematic in Shanghai’s cornering phases.
Ferrari are now working intensively on a B-spec version of the Macarena rear wing, focusing on structural revisions and weight reduction. The team had originally targeted the Canadian Grand Prix for its competitive debut but are pushing to accelerate the timeline to Miami.
While a Miami appearance remains possible, a final decision will only be taken after practice sessions.
The urgency is heightened by the structure of the Miami weekend, which includes a Sprint format and therefore only one practice session. The cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia has also removed two additional weeks of potential track running, increasing the importance of the Monza filming day.
The Monza test is expected to cover more than just the revised rear wing. Ferrari plan to trial a revised floor aimed at improving the SF-26’s overall aerodynamic downforce, alongside other aerodynamic tweaks and potential weight-saving measures.
In parallel, the team are preparing significantly revised engine software for Miami in an effort to reduce the impact of super clipping — an issue that has cost the SF-26 performance on the straights due to the way its power unit regains energy.
Taken together, the developments represent a coordinated push to close the gap to Mercedes. With limited preparation time and a compressed development window, Ferrari’s Monza running could prove pivotal in shaping the next phase of their 2026 campaign.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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