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McLaren will introduce its own rotating rear-wing concept, named the H-Wing, at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The device is designed to rotate through 180 degrees between cornering mode and straight mode, offering the team a new low-drag solution for Formula 1’s most demanding high-speed venue.
The timing is significant. McLaren has been developing its interpretation since Ferrari first demonstrated a similar concept during winter testing, but the Woking-based team has taken a measured route to bringing it to a race weekend. Fans can also review the latest 2026 Italian GP track map and its straight-mode points ahead of the device’s first full deployment.
McLaren initially brought a prototype to the Austrian Grand Prix, but abandoned plans to run it in free practice after encountering an issue in the garage. A revised version was then evaluated during Hungary FP1, with the team targeting low-drag, high-speed circuits where the concept could deliver its greatest benefit on the straights.
Monza represents the first such opportunity, and McLaren has confirmed that the H-Wing will be fitted to both cars.
Despite the obvious temptation to connect the name with Star Wars, McLaren says the designation comes from the H in its Etihad sponsorship logo on the rear wing of the MCL40. That letter runs along the centreline, close to the position of the actuator used to switch the wing into straight mode.
The naming also echoes McLaren’s history of branding aerodynamic innovations around sponsor imagery. Its celebrated F-duct from 2010 took its name from the F in the Vodafone logo positioned on the nose, where the duct was installed.
The H-Wing will arrive alongside a new low-drag rear-wing specification and several smaller aerodynamic and low-drag options. McLaren will evaluate those components before deciding its final qualifying specification, underlining the balance between straight-line efficiency and the aerodynamic demands of the rest of the lap.
McLaren technical director Neil Houldey said the team had brought what it believed was necessary to be competitive, while stressing that further performance remains available from the MCL40.
“Overall, we know there is still more performance to unlock from the MCL40, both through maximising the package we already have and through further upgrades planned for the races ahead,” Houldey said.
McLaren will also run a tweaked livery at Monza and next week’s Spanish Grand Prix to promote its partnership with cryptocurrency company OKX.
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.