“We call it Macarena… like the dance where you raise your arms.” Fred Vasseur is known for his sense of humor, but the new rear wing introduced today by Ferrari is set to spark plenty of debate. It is an extreme solution, capable of rotating the movable flap almost 270 degrees, reducing aerodynamic drag. A clever innovation, similar to the one that could give the Scuderia (like Red Bull) an advantage at the start of races: “This critical aspect has been known for some time, and everyone has made their choices…” The 2026 championship is already heating up, with both technical and political challenges ahead.
Ferrari’s rotating rear wing, Vasseur: “Everyone brings innovations, many just less visible than this”
Ferrari has shown a willingness to take risks. They did so with a double rear intervention, introducing an aerodynamic element behind the exhaust and following it up with the brand-new rotating movable rear wing. It seems the right approach, and certainly what fans expected from Maranello.
“All teams are bringing innovations. Some visible, others less so,” Fred Vasseur tries to downplay the hype. “I’m convinced all our rivals are doing the same. Surely, our latest solutions are quite noticeable, but I don’t think there are huge differences compared to others. And above all, we don’t know if we’ll see them in Melbourne.” A bit of reassurance, yet with some truth. Even though the rear innovations have caught the attention of other teams, Ferrari has not yet decided whether they will be used in Australia.
Ferrari and the start procedure challenge: “We’ve reached a good compromise. Safety concerns? Start from the pit lane”
Starts have been another major topic, with Ferrari again at the forefront. The SF-26, like the Red Bull, appears to have been designed to allow effective race starts despite the absence of the MGU-H on next-generation power units. “We informed the Federation a year ago that there would be challenges with starts. Everyone knew, and each team made its own choices in engine design.” Fred Vasseur was referring to the possibility of using a smaller turbo capable of reaching the required pressure more quickly. Not everyone considered this (just ask Mercedes), so now the discussion has turned to safety regulations. “We introduced light panels. They warn drivers when there are only a few seconds left before the five starting lights,” the French manager explained, referring to the blue lights on the straight that indicate when five seconds remain before the lights go out. “I think this solution satisfies everyone and is safe for all. But if anyone is still not satisfied… I suggest starting from the pit lane. That’s unquestionably safe.”
This concept was also reiterated by Charles Leclerc: “We knew how important starts are, and we kept this in mind when designing our engine,” the Monegasque explained. “We are probably a bit better positioned than others, and I’m happy about that.” These comments echo what Max Verstappen previously stated, equally satisfied with Red Bull’s preparation for race starts. It is no coincidence that Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, along with Valtteri Bottas (driving the Cadillac powered by Maranello engines), have expressed resistance to potential regulation changes. Mercedes-powered teams, however, see the larger turbo on the German power unit as a limitation at the start. “I believe Red Bull has a smaller turbo than us,” confirmed Kimi Antonelli to Sky. “It seems they don’t need as much time as we do before the lights go out.”
Bahrain test: SF-26 issue for Lewis Hamilton
During the morning session at Sakhir, Ferrari encountered an issue with Lewis Hamilton’s SF-26. “We had a small problem that kept us in the garage for three hours,” Fred Vasseur confirmed. “Now we’re focused on preparing parts for Melbourne, and time is very limited. Overall, reliability has been very positive.” This is a compliment to the engineers in Maranello, which he added “should also be shared with others, as everyone has completed an impressive number of laps.” Yet Ferrari has exceeded expectations, covering around 5,000 kilometers—much more than planned three weeks ago.
Fred Vasseur has therefore dismissed rival safety concerns regarding the 2026 race starts as a lack of technical foresight, while simultaneously showcasing Ferrari’s innovative “Macarena” wing as just one part of a highly aggressive and reliable SF-26 package heading into the Australian Grand Prix.
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