McLaren to Trial 'Macarena' Rotating Wing in Austria Practice

McLaren will trial an experimental rotating rear wing during Friday practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, becoming the third team to test the so-called 'Macarena' concept after Ferrari and Red Bull brought versions to the track. The Woking squad is chasing its first victory of the 2026 season amid Mercedes' early dominance and Lewis Hamilton's recent win in Barcelona.

Why it matters:

With Mercedes commanding the constructors' standings and McLaren sitting third, 49 points behind Ferrari, every marginal gain is crucial in a tight development race. The rotating wing toggles between high downforce and low drag configurations under 2026's active aero rules, but McLaren remains wary that a concept proven on rival machinery may not deliver the same benefit on its own car.

The details:

• Technical director Neil Houldey confirmed the experimental wing will run throughout Friday alongside minor rear corner updates, framing the package as part of McLaren's season-long development pathway.
• Ferrari first trialled the rotating design during Bahrain pre-season testing before racing it in Miami, where Red Bull also debuted its own interpretation.
• Chief designer Rob Marshall previously noted that while McLaren analyzes all rival innovations, copying parts rarely works identically across different cars, though he pointed to the double diffuser as a famous exception.
• McLaren arrives at the Red Bull Ring as the defending race winners following Lando Norris's 2025 victory, but the team has yet to stand on the top step this season after Mercedes controlled the opening rounds.

What's next:

McLaren will evaluate the wing's performance across Friday practice before deciding whether to run the design in qualifying and the race. Even if the data proves encouraging, fully integrating the rotating concept into McLaren's unique aerodynamic philosophy presents the real challenge as the squad fights to close the gap at the front.