Why Ferrari may have to rethink its ‘Macarena’ rear wing after Lewis Hamilton’s close call. Ferrari’s innovative rear wing comes under scrutiny after Lewis Hamilton’s near accident.

Red Bull’s decision to abandon its controversial rotating rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix has once again put the spotlight on one of Formula 1’s most fascinating technical developments. While the Milton Keynes-based outfit has reverted to an older specification after suffering two costly failures, Ferrari continues to race with its own version of the so-called “Macarena” rear wing—a solution that has so far delivered performance gains but has also raised questions about its long-term reliability.

Although Ferrari’s implementation has proven considerably more dependable than Red Bull’s, one incident involving Lewis Hamilton at the Austrian Grand Prix demonstrated that the system is not entirely without risk. With Spa-Francorchamps placing enormous demands on aerodynamic efficiency and stability, the Scuderia now faces an important decision over whether the benefits still outweigh the potential dangers.

Red Bull steps back after two costly failures

The issue first came to prominence after Red Bull experienced two dramatic rear wing failures in consecutive race weekends. Max Verstappen crashed heavily during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix after suddenly losing rear downforce, while another malfunction ended his race prematurely at Silverstone.

Garage photographs taken ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix revealed that both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar had returned to an earlier rear wing specification, abandoning the rotating mechanism introduced only recently. Rather than being forced to make the change by the FIA, Red Bull appears to have voluntarily taken a step back while engineers work on improving the reliability of the concept.

The governing body has nevertheless been monitoring the technology closely, aware that any unexpected loss of aerodynamic load at high speed could have significant safety implications.

Lewis Hamilton’s Austrian scare highlighted Ferrari’s own vulnerability

Unlike Red Bull, Ferrari has avoided major failures with its active rear wing. However, Lewis Hamilton experienced a worrying moment during the Austrian Grand Prix that suggested the Italian team’s system may still require further refinement.

While chasing Oscar Piastri through Turn 9—ironically the same high-speed corner where Max Verstappen crashed—Lewis Hamilton suddenly suffered a violent snap of oversteer. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion managed to keep the SF-26 under control with an outstanding correction, preventing what could easily have become a race-ending accident.

Although the incident ultimately had no lasting consequences, it immediately attracted attention from Sky Sports F1 analyst Anthony Davidson, who explained that Ferrari’s rear wing appeared to react more slowly than the front wing when transitioning from low-drag mode back into its high-downforce configuration.

Ferrari’s innovative concept still requires refinement

According to Anthony Davidson’s technical analysis, Ferrari’s system does not always complete its transition at exactly the same moment as the front aerodynamic elements. As Lewis Hamilton turned into the corner, the rear wing was reportedly still completing its movement, temporarily leaving the car with an aerodynamic imbalance.

The former Formula 1 driver also suggested that Ferrari’s drivers appear to manually control parts of the activation sequence using steering wheel commands. If that sequence is not completed at precisely the right moment before braking or corner entry, the rear wing may remain partially open for a fraction longer than intended, briefly reducing rear downforce when maximum stability is needed.

In Lewis Hamilton’s case, his exceptional car control prevented the situation from escalating into a serious accident. Nevertheless, the incident demonstrated how little margin for error exists when these active aerodynamic systems operate at circuits featuring long straights followed immediately by very high-speed corners.

Should Ferrari follow Red Bull’s example?

The comparison between Ferrari and Red Bull is particularly interesting because both teams developed similar concepts independently. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has previously insisted that his team’s design was not copied from the Maranello team, explaining instead that both projects progressed simultaneously before development delays postponed Red Bull’s introduction.

At present, Ferrari’s version appears to be the more mature and reliable solution. It has delivered the expected gains in straight-line efficiency while avoiding the catastrophic failures that forced Red Bull to temporarily abandon its own package.

Even so, Lewis Hamilton’s near miss in Austria highlights that reliability is only part of the equation. Consistent and perfectly synchronized aerodynamic transitions are equally critical, particularly as Formula 1 cars approach corners at well over 300 km/h.

With Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull continuing to improve throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season, The Italian side cannot afford unnecessary risks. If further incidents occur, the Scuderia could lose valuable championship points, suffer expensive crash damage, and potentially find itself under greater FIA scrutiny.

For now, Ferrari appears committed to its innovative rear wing philosophy, but Red Bull’s decision to revert to an older specification suggests that even the most promising aerodynamic concepts sometimes require patience before they can be relied upon without compromise. As development continues throughout the second half of the season, the evolution of these active rear wing systems could become one of the defining technical stories in Formula 1.