McLaren Hints at 'Macarena' Rear Wing Adoption After Red Bull's Miami Progress

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has revealed the team is closely evaluating the 'Macarena' rear wing — a rotating design already deployed by Ferrari and Red Bull — and believes it could be "beneficial" for the papaya squad. The hint follows Red Bull's notable progress in Miami with their own version, while McLaren enjoyed a sprint victory and double podium finish.

Why it matters:

The 'Macarena' rear wing represents a major aerodynamic shift in the 2026 season, allowing for significant drag reduction on straights. McLaren's potential adoption signals their intent to close the gap to frontrunners Ferrari and Mercedes, as the field begins to tighten. With Red Bull also making gains, the competitive order is compressing.

The Details:

• Origins: The 'Macarena' wing, named for its 180° flip, first appeared on Ferrari in Bahrain pre-season testing and was used fully in Miami after earlier FP1 outings.
• Red Bull's version: Introduced as part of a major upgrade in Miami, the wing helped Max Verstappen qualify P2 and finish P5, showing improved pace despite reliability concerns.
• McLaren's own progress: The Woking team brought seven upgrades to the Sunshine State and secured a Sprint 1-2 victory and double podium in the Grand Prix with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
• Brown's statement: "We have [looked at it]. It's clever and we think it could be beneficial, so not surprised to see another team using it," Brown told Sky F1.
• Field consolidation: Brown noted lap times are converging: "If you look at the lap times now compared to Australia, the whole field is starting to get consolidated."

Between the lines:

Despite McLaren's strong Miami performance, world champion Lando Norris warned against overreacting. "It's too easy to judge things over one race," he said, pointing to Mercedes' historic strength at the next round in Montreal. Norris emphasized the need to evaluate across different track types before drawing conclusions. McLaren's decision on the 'Macarena' wing will depend on further analysis and potential integration into future upgrades.