Ferrari is pushing ahead with the development of its innovative “Macarena” rear wing, which is set to return to the track soon in order to gather further data ahead of its definitive debut on the SF-26. Here is when we are likely to see it again.
The second race weekend of the 2026 season has also come to an end for the Ferrari SF-26, and the car has lived up to expectations thanks to a highly competitive technical package. However, the gap to Mercedes remains too large, mainly due to a performance deficit in the power unit. While the SF-26 still trails its direct rivals in terms of engine performance, from a chassis and aerodynamic perspective the new car from Maranello can be considered on par with—if not even superior to—Mercedes.
While waiting for updates to the power unit, the technical department led by Loïc Serra is working tirelessly on the aerodynamic development of the SF-26, with the first interesting innovations already seen on track.
The solution that has attracted the most attention is undoubtedly the so-called “Macarena” rear wing, which made its debut in a prototype version during testing in Bahrain. After deciding not to bring it to Melbourne, the team introduced it in China in the hope of accelerating its full-time debut. However, some early-stage issues have emerged with this extreme concept.
In particular, the main problem appears to be related to the synchronization between the closing of the front and rear flaps. Because the rear flaps have to complete a greater rotation, they take more time compared to the front ones, creating a significant imbalance during braking and causing instability.
As a result, the “Macarena” wing was only used during the free practice session before making way for the standard version. Nevertheless, the Maranello-based team managed to collect valuable data to improve its behavior.
When will the “Macarena” rear wing return on the Ferrari SF-26?
The advantage offered by the “Macarena” rear wing is considered significant, which is why Ferrari is accelerating its development in an effort to reduce the gap to Mercedes. For this reason, the solution is expected to return to the track as early as the next race in Japan, in two weeks’ time.
Team principal Fred Vasseur explained: “If we want to accumulate mileage on new components, we have to use them in FP1. We will probably do it again next week in Japan.”
Every opportunity therefore becomes valuable for Ferrari to test the component and gather further data needed to refine it. A complex and extreme solution like this requires real track testing above all, where the stresses are very different from those simulated on test benches.
“If reliability is good and we have accumulated enough mileage, then we will introduce it for the race weekend,” he added.
At Maranello, development of the SF-26 continues at full speed, with a significant upgrade package already expected for Miami, as Ferrari aims to reduce the gap to Mercedes as much as possible.
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