Ferrari arrives at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix with the revised Macarena rear wing fitted to the SF-26, having resolved the structural and aerodynamic instability that affected the system earlier in the season. Red Bull, by contrast, must reportedly abandon its problematic RB22 version because its excessive flexibility failed to satisfy the FIA.
According to the report, the Anglo-Austrian team also attempted to have Ferrari’s safer specification prohibited on the grounds of equal treatment. However, that request was unsuccessful because the governing body found no equivalent safety or compliance problem with the solution developed in Maranello. The contrasting outcomes leave Ferrari free to use its updated concept at a circuit where active-aerodynamic transitions will be particularly important.
How Ferrari solved its Macarena rear-wing problems
As expected, Ferrari will return to the track for the tenth round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship with its Macarena rear wing. The Maranello team is now comfortable with the system and can deploy the revised specification developed during the opening part of the season. However, much like Red Bull, Ferrari initially encountered several technical problems with the concept.
The first version did not allow Ferrari to stabilise the wing element correctly during the closing phase. The consequences were particularly evident at the Chinese Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton had to contend with an unpredictable SF-26 under braking. The actuator was too slow, while the airflow had insufficient time to reorganise and begin working correctly after the wing changed position.
As a result, the correct level of downforce took several crucial fractions of a second to return. This delay created significant instability as the car approached the turn-in phase. Ferrari therefore decided to set the Macarena wing aside temporarily, studying its behaviour in greater detail before introducing the changes required to make the system both effective and dependable.
The opening races consequently became an important development period for an innovation that could now be tested by the unpredictable conditions expected at Spa-Francorchamps.
Ferrari strengthened the wing and revised its aerodynamics
Ferrari’s engineers first identified the need to reinforce the rear wing’s supporting pylons, a structural modification that was quickly designed and implemented. The team subsequently made minor changes to the wing’s shape and added a small aerodynamic component to the trailing edge of the upper flap.
This additional element helps accelerate and control the substantial rotation the wing must complete when switching between its different configurations. Together, the changes improved the consistency of the airflow and reduced the delay before the expected downforce level was restored.
Ferrari’s technical group, overseen by chassis technical director Loïc Serra, also modified the actuator. The final adjustment was introduced at the British Grand Prix. The combined work produced the desired result and made it safe for Ferrari to use the Macarena rear wing at Silverstone, where the transitions associated with active aerodynamics were particularly important.
That successful test now gives Ferrari the confidence to retain the solution for Belgium. The wing will form part of the wider package being evaluated through the weekend, alongside the other Formula 1 upgrades seen in the Spa pit lane.
Why Red Bull has abandoned its Macarena rear wing
Did Red Bull copy Ferrari’s Macarena concept? According to the original report, the answer is yes, although the development process requires some context. The claim that Red Bull had completed its own folding-wing design during the winter and was already preparing to introduce it before seeing Ferrari’s version is described as inaccurate.
Red Bull’s engineers in Milton Keynes had reportedly been studying a similar concept. However, it was only after observing the solution tested on the Ferrari SF-26 in Bahrain that they accelerated the construction and development of their own specification.
The two systems are based on broadly similar ideas, but they remain significantly different in several areas. Red Bull reportedly pursued the potential aerodynamic benefits more aggressively than Ferrari. In doing so, the team created a level of wing flexing that became excessive and difficult to manage, even for four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen is said to have dealt with the resulting handling problems for approximately two months. The repeated issues suggested that Red Bull had not yet achieved the required structural control over the component.
FIA scrutiny forces Red Bull back to its previous specification
The visible and recurring problems inevitably attracted the attention of the FIA. Teams are permitted to pursue lower drag and a better aerodynamic efficiency coefficient, but that development cannot result in a component presenting a tangible safety risk or exceeding the permitted flexibility limits.
Red Bull will therefore compete in Belgium with its previous rear-wing specification, according to the report. The change represents a necessary step backwards for the Milton Keynes team at a circuit where aerodynamic efficiency, straight-line speed and energy management are all critical.
The FIA has already tightened several technical and operational areas under the new regulations, including the energy-management requirements facing teams at Spa. Rear-wing flexibility is another area in which compliance and safety take precedence over potential performance gains.
Red Bull’s reported attempt to block Ferrari’s wing fails
Red Bull reportedly attempted to respond by asking the FIA to apply equal treatment to Ferrari. Its argument was that if the RB22 could not use its Macarena-style rear wing, the SF-26 should not be allowed to run Ferrari’s version either.
Such an argument would carry weight if Ferrari’s solution displayed the same dangerous or excessive behaviour. However, the modifications made in Maranello mean that the two situations are not considered equivalent. Ferrari reinforced the system, revised its aerodynamic details and changed the actuator before returning the wing to regular use.
The FIA therefore found no reason to prevent Ferrari from using its specification, according to the account presented in the source. Red Bull must accept the rejection and return to its older rear wing, while the SF-26 can race with the updated Macarena concept at Spa-Francorchamps.
Its performance will be closely watched throughout the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, particularly given Charles Leclerc’s assessment of Ferrari’s prospects at Spa and the possibility that changing weather conditions could complicate the team’s aerodynamic choices.
The outcome gives Ferrari an important technical advantage over Red Bull in this particular area, although the true performance benefit will depend on the SF-26’s overall configuration and the conditions encountered during the weekend.
For further context on the new generation of Formula 1 aerodynamics, the wider implications of active wings and energy deployment are also examined in this Formula 1 news coverage.
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