F1 2026: Lewis Hamilton gets major boost as aggressive Ferrari send for the ‘Macarena’

Rear wing of Ferrari SF-25 — Photo: © IMAGO

Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton gets major F1 boost as aggressive Ferrari send for the ‘Macarena’

The rear wing is reportedly being shipped to Shanghai this week

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Monday 9 March 2026 22:25

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Ferrari came out fighting when the 2026 F1 season began in Australia on Sunday, and we should expect more of the same this weekend in China.

The SF-26 once again proved to be a rocketship off the start line in the new era of regulations, as Charles Leclerc surged into an early lead while Lewis Hamilton also showed terrific pace.

Eventually the Maranello pair would claim third and fourth respectively at Albert Park as mighty Mercedes claimed a 1-2 courtesy of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

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Ferrari though clearly believe they are in a position to challenge at the front end this year, and are now set to quickly add to their package for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

According to Autoracer.it, the Scuderia are shipping three specs of their eye-catching rear wing design - which caught the eye of so many paddock watchers during pre-season testing - to China.

Nicknamed the ‘Macarena’ by team principal Fred Vasseur, the new-look rear wing was not utilised in Melbourne on Sunday, but Ferrari appears to be fast-tracking its actual F1 debut.

The latest reports claim while this first (FIA-validated) version spec is being shipped to China, a more evolved version will then be ready in time for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in May.

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What is the ‘Macarena’

One of the new features of the 2026 F1 cars is active aerodynamics, which allows both the front and rear wings to be adjusted whether they are on the straight or approaching a corner.

The flaps on both the rear and front wings can be actively opened or closed. When closed they provide downforce but create drag. When they are open they reduce drag and downforce.

Ferrari's use of active aero caused a stir during the second week of testing in Bahrain, after Hamilton's rear wing opened on the straight.

When the wing was open, it looked rather unusual and when it re-entered corner mode the reason for this quirk was exposed, after the wing fully rotated back into a closed position.

Ferrari have reportedly found a clever trick in the regulations which doesn't specify that the wing has to be mounted the right way up when the active aero is deployed.

This means they can run the rear wing upside down as they go down the straight, similar to an aircraft wing.

How will this help Ferrari?

Ferrari's upside down rear wing should reduce drag and generate lift. Reducing drag could also reduce rolling resistance for the tyres, altogether allowing for a greater top speed on straights.

The introduction of the wing also be used to counter-balance Ferrari's exhaust wing, where an extra flap extends the diffuser area to help use exhaust gases to blow the rear wing area of the car, increasing downforce but at the cost of drag.