McLaren delays "Macarena" rear wing race debut until Monza

McLaren revises rear-wing plan

McLaren will introduce a modified version of its flip-over rear wing during first practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the team does not expect to race the design until at least September.

The wing was originally scheduled to appear at the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June. McLaren brought its own interpretation of a concept popularised by Ferrari and Red Bull for testing, but the plan was abandoned and the component never left the garage.

The team has since revised the design and will make another attempt to evaluate it in Hungary. The test will take place alongside Leonardo Fornaroli’s second Formula 1 practice outing of the year. The reigning Formula 2 champion is therefore set to run during an important session for McLaren’s development programme.

McLaren, however, has made clear that the Hungarian debut is not a racing introduction. The team said “this item is not scheduled to be introduced fully at this or the following race in the Netherlands”, which is the first event after Formula 1’s summer break.

Monza emerges as earliest race opportunity

That timeline points to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza as the earliest possible race appearance for the updated wing, provided the Hungarian tests deliver the required results. The design would be particularly useful there, making Monza a logical target within McLaren’s stated schedule.

McLaren’s delay also highlights the development race surrounding the concept. Ferrari carried out a lengthy on-track testing programme with its ‘Macarena’ wing, including a notable appearance during pre-season testing in Bahrain, before racing it from the Miami Grand Prix in May. Italian media reports suggest Ferrari may bring a modified version of that wing to Hungary.

Red Bull, meanwhile, had to park its flip-over rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix after back-to-back high-speed crashes involving Max Verstappen in Austria and Britain. The team says it has found a fix and that the wing will return. Red Bull confirms its rear-wing fix ahead of the Hungarian GP.

Part of a wider McLaren reset

McLaren’s revised wing will arrive with a substantial package of updates, including a new floor and “further other aerodynamic parts”. The changes form part of a broader plan to, in team principal Andrea Stella’s words, “redirect” development away from some of the car’s original concept choices.

The Hungarian weekend will therefore serve two purposes: assessing a delayed aerodynamic solution and examining a wider direction change for McLaren. The team’s decision not to commit to racing the wing immediately underlines the importance of proving its performance before introducing it in competition.