Ferrari pushes innovation in Shanghai as SF-26 updates face key test. Ferrari prepares bold moves in China but tire management could be decisive.

China, Ferrari tries everything: innovation and imitation, but a problem could emerge

In recent hours, there has been considerable discussion online about the possibility of seeing the so-called “Macarena” wing return on the Ferrari SF-26. The rear wing featuring a rotating flap generated significant interest among rival teams and fans during the pre-season testing session in Bahrain.

The engineers in Maranello decided not to use the solution in Melbourne, perhaps due to the limited number of long straights on the Australian circuit. China, however, could prove to be a more suitable venue to evaluate its potential. The Shanghai circuit features two long straights — the one between turns 16 and 1, and especially the stretch between turns 13 and 14 — which could provide the perfect environment to assess the effectiveness of this aerodynamic concept.

There may also have been reliability concerns that prompted Ferrari’s technicians to revise the wing before introducing it officially during a race weekend. These details may become clearer once the cars take to the track in Shanghai.

On its own, the “Macarena” wing will not deliver a speed boost large enough to threaten Mercedes. The gap between the teams remains significant, particularly in terms of energy recovery efficiency. In addition to the well-known super-clipping effect, the Mercedes W17 — especially in the hands of George Russell — demonstrated an interesting technique for recovering energy in the Turn 9-10 section.

This approach involved releasing the throttle while performing a double downshift, but in a gradual manner, with a brief delay between the two gear changes. The process significantly increased engine revs and allowed the car to harvest a large amount of energy within a single corner.

According to information that has emerged in recent hours, Ferrari attempted to replicate this energy-recovery technique in record time by introducing a software modification for Shanghai. Essentially, it represents a test. Since it is a change implemented under tight time pressure, there is no guarantee that it will work perfectly from the outset or deliver immediate efficiency.

In China, tires could also prove decisive

It is clear that Ferrari is trying every possible avenue — both to close the gap to Mercedes and to create a margin over rivals McLaren and Red Bull. The decision to introduce these two developments in China may have been driven by a double motivation: the obvious need to improve performance, and the need to avoid losing too much ground due to another potential issue — tire management.

In Melbourne, Ferrari already appeared to struggle toward the end of the race despite choosing to mount the hard compound roughly ten laps later than Mercedes. The Stuttgart manufacturer managed its advantage effectively and did not suffer significant graining that could limit race pace, even setting the record for the longest stint on the C3 compound with 46 laps.

The same cannot be said for Charles Leclerc, who nearly lost position to teammate Lewis Hamilton despite having been ahead throughout the event. After leading for much of the race, the Monegasque driver found himself under pressure late in the Grand Prix after completing a long stint of 33 laps on the same compound.

Tires will once again be a key topic in Shanghai. The hard compound used in Melbourne — the C3 — will serve as the medium tire for the Chinese Grand Prix. Considering the fast corners and the front-limited nature of the track, it appears on paper to be a likely strategic choice for teams attempting to complete the race with a single stop using a Medium-Hard strategy.

Based on what was seen in Australia, Mercedes may be the only team that realistically has a chance of making that strategy work under these conditions. As for Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull, strategic decisions could influence the entire course of the race and place them in a closer battle with each other.

This is why Ferrari does not want to waste any time. In Melbourne the Scuderia clearly established itself as the second-fastest team. It is a role and status that Ferrari has no intention of losing just seven days later.