Ferrari’s much-hyped rear wing “Macarena” finally made its on-track debut during Free Practice at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday. But the radical innovation did not deliver the expected results, prompting the Italian team to remove it just before Sprint Qualifying.
The unusual rear wing had already created plenty of buzz online when it was first seen during pre-season testing in Bahrain. However, when it was fitted to the SF-26 during the only practice session in Shanghai, the results were not that impressive.
The session itself was dominated by Mercedes, while McLaren also looked strong. Ferrari, meanwhile, lagged behind the frontrunners. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth fastest respectively, with Leclerc eight-tenths slower than Mercedes’ George Russell. The seven-time world champion was 1.388 seconds off the pace.
McLaren produced a late push during the session, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing third and fourth, further pushing Ferrari down the order.
How the Ferrari ‘Macarena’ Wing Works
Ferrari’s new rear wing was considered one of the most beautiful and creative innovations of the 2026 pre-season under new ‘nimble’ car F1 regulations. The design features a flap that rotates on its axis by more than 180 degrees, creating a fully inverted low-drag profile for straight-line speed.
The flip-flop wing is back! 🩴
Ferrari deploy their innovative active aero solution for the first time on a Grand Prix weekend! 🤩#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/BnIfiaAAYo
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 13, 2026
Unlike the traditional DRS system, the rotating mechanism is designed to reduce drag more effectively, potentially providing an extra 5–10 km/h of top speed on long straights.
However, despite the hype surrounding the upgrade, Ferrari opted to remove the wing ahead of Sprint Qualifying just an hour later. The decision was reportedly taken due to reliability concerns.
Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz explained that the team was unsure whether the wing could withstand the stresses of an entire race weekend.
“They are not sure it is reliable enough to make it through the rest of the weekend. A lot of load goes through it as it flips, and they are not 100 percent certain it will be reliable,” Kravitz said.
Also Read: F1 Chinese GP Sprint Qualifying: George Russell Takes Pole as Mercedes Lock Front Row in Shanghai
Ferrari Still Struggle in Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying
Even after switching back to the conventional rear wing, Ferrari did not see a major improvement in performance. Leclerc had a frustrating Sprint Qualifying session and finished sixth, while Hamilton managed fourth place just ahead of Oscar Piastri.
Leclerc voiced his frustration over the team radio during the session, “What the hell is happening? I lost like four tenths on the back straight.”
In the fight for the first Sprint of the year tomorrow 👊 pic.twitter.com/oUJJTDCxEC
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 13, 2026
Speaking after qualifying, the Monegasque driver said the team needs to analyse the issue. “Unfortunately when I had a good lap, I lost half a second on the back straight for whatever reason on the second lap in SQ3. So we F!will analyse that and try to understand what has gone wrong.”
Ferrari Still Hopeful for the Race
Despite the clear pace deficit to Mercedes, Leclerc believes Ferrari could still be more competitive over race distance. “It doesn’t really change the picture from where we are,” he said.
However, he admitted that Mercedes currently have the upper hand in qualifying performance. “For some reason, the Mercedes power unit finds a lot of lap time. We don’t quite find that amount yet in qualifying, but in the race we are closer. So I’m hopeful we can come back tomorrow.”
