F1 Chinese Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton admits Ferrari rushed ‘Macarena’ debut

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton reveals ‘Macarena’ verdict after Ferrari F1 fail in China

Lewis Hamilton provided the verdict on that much-hyped rear wing

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 13 March 2026 15:55

It was there and then it wasn't. F1 legend Lewis Hamilton told all on Ferrari's 'Macarena wing' change after sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The 'Macarena wing' is the informal term for Ferrari's innovative rotating rear wing that first debuted during Bahrain testing, where the rear wing was seen upside down as the car hurtled down the straight.

On Thursday in Shanghai, the rotational rear wing was fitted to both cars ahead of Friday's practice session, during which Charles Leclerc and Hamilton set the fifth and sixth fastest times.

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When Ferrari arrived in the pitlane for Sprint Qualifying however, it was confirmed by Sky Sports' Ted Kravitz that the 'Macarena wing' would not be used in the session, citing reliability as the reason.

"We were all excited about the Ferrari rear wing but it was inevitable they would take it off! They are not running it for the rest of the weekend," he explained.

"Not because they think it gives them 5kph more speed in a straight line but they are not sure it is reliable enough to make it through the rest of the weekend. A lot of load goes through it as it flips but they are not 100 per cent certain it will be reliable."

In commentary, Anthony Davidson then added: "It’s ambitious to run this different wing in FP1 and then quite literally flip back to the old one. I hope for their sake that their aero balance is exactly the same."

Hamilton: We rushed to get 'Macarena' wing here

Ferrari were once again outshined by Mercedes during sprint qualifying, and even Lando Norris in his McLaren, with Hamilton and Leclerc securing a grid position of fourth and sixth.

Hamilton further elaborated on the rear wing change in the press pen on Friday, praising the team for getting the design out for China but also stating it wasn't initially supposed to be ready until the fourth or fifth round of the championship.

Speaking after the track running had concluded on Friday, Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: “I don’t really know why we went back on it. We rushed it to get it here and it was not supposed to be on the cars until, I think it was race four or five.

"They did a great job to rush it here, we only had two of them and it was maybe a little bit premature so we took it off. The car was still great and we’ll work to try and bring it back when it’s ready."

Leclerc also told media that the removal of the Macarena wing, 'doesn’t really change' where Ferrari are, with Mercedes still the clear leaders in Shanghai.

How much will the 'Macarena wing' help Ferrari?

The purpose of the rotational rear wing is to reduce drag and generate lift, reducing rolling resistance for the tyres which should allow for greater top speeds.

It could also be in place to clean up the airflow exiting the diffuser, with Haas adding their own version of the wing in China also and copying Ferrari.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Chinese Grand Prix