Bernie Collins: Ferrari ‘Macarena’ At Chinese GP Sparks Questions Over Straight‑Line Gain
bernie collins The confirmed development from the Shanghai weekend is that Ferrari has brought its rotating rear wing — widely nicknamed the ‘macarena’ — to the Chinese Grand Prix after initial running in Bahrain testing, with the upgrade now appearing in the pits ahead of Sprint action.
Ferrari Brings Rotating Wing To Shanghai
The upside‑down rear wing first seen in Bahrain testing has been fitted to Ferrari’s car for the second race weekend of the season. Rather than flattening the top element in straight‑line mode, the design rotates the top element into an upside‑down position. The device was not used at the season‑opening race in Australia but was spotted in the pit lane ahead of the Sprint weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit, which features a 1. 1km straight where straight‑line speed is critical.
Early Running And Driver Reaction
Lewis Hamilton has described the team effort around upgrades as the squad “pushing and chasing” and said the wing received a full day of running in testing. He praised the factory’s work to bring the device forward on the calendar, saying it had originally been planned for later deployment and that the team worked hard to get it to Shanghai. On the initial sensation of the device on track, he said the change was visually noticeable in the mirrors but that he was keen to see its effect on the long straight in Shanghai.
Ferrari arrived at the weekend aiming to build on a competitive start to the new era of cars. In the opening race in Melbourne they finished third and fourth behind the Mercedes drivers; the qualifying gap seen earlier — cited as roughly 0. 8 seconds — was highlighted as the deficit the team must work to close.
Bernie Collins: Significance And Outlook
bernie collins The technical upgrade has shifted attention to how teams will exploit different approaches to reducing drag on long straights and how rival squads will react. The immediate consequence is that the Shanghai weekend will provide the first meaningful on‑track comparison of the rotating wing in race‑weekend running, with Practice scheduled for 3: 30 am ET and Sprint Qualifying from 7: 30 am ET on Friday.
Beyond the weekend itself, the presence of the rotating element underscores rapid in‑season development choices: it was first run in Bahrain testing, omitted in Australia, then brought to Shanghai where aerodynamic gains on the 1. 1km straight could influence strategy and performance. The confirmed facts remain the wing’s unconventional rotation into an upside‑down position for straight‑line mode, its testing history, Hamilton’s on‑record comments about the team’s push to introduce it early, and Ferrari’s finishing positions in the opening race while seeking to close an identified qualifying gap.
As this coverage continues to settle, other details remain developing and will be clarified by further on‑track data and team communications across the Shanghai weekend.
