May 15 (GMM) Formula 1’s 2026 development race is escalating rapidly, with rival teams already copying Ferrari innovations while McLaren could soon introduce its own version of the innovative ‘Macarena’ rear wing concept.
The speed of development only a handful of races into the radically new regulations underlines how quickly teams are converging on breakthrough concepts.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown admitted the Woking team has closely studied the increasingly influential rear wing designs pioneered by rivals.
“We have. As you can imagine, all the teams look at what each other do,” he said.
“It’s clever and we think it could be beneficial, so not surprised to see another team using it.”
The so-called ‘Macarena’ rear wing concept first gained attention at Ferrari before Red Bull introduced its own aggressive interpretation in Miami.
But another major aerodynamic battleground has now emerged around Ferrari’s exhaust-blown downforce trick.
According to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, Ferrari stunned rivals during Bahrain testing by introducing a wing element positioned behind the exhaust to exploit hot gases for extra downforce.
“The competition was in an uproar,” the magazine reported.
“They had actually thought that repurposing exhaust gases to generate downforce was no longer permitted.”
Ferrari engineers reportedly discovered a loophole within the FIA’s ‘legality boxes’ by cleverly arranging suspension geometry and driveshaft positioning around the rear axle.
“Because Ferrari’s exhaust gases are particularly hot, the trick works especially well,” the report explained, adding that the effect is believed to be worth “several tenths of a second per lap”.
The innovation has already triggered a wave of imitation across the grid.
“At the Miami race, seven other teams had already modified their cars according to this principle,” Auto Motor und Sport said.
“Williams placed a narrow but tall element directly in the exhaust stream. Alpine’s winglet is flat and wide. McLaren and Red Bull simply covered the lower edge of the tailpipe with a baffle. Mercedes attached a double wing to the exhaust.”
Only Haas F1 Team has reportedly been able to closely replicate Ferrari’s original concept because of its shared rear suspension architecture with the Italian team.
“Ferrari, however, isn’t resting on its laurels,” the report added.
“In Miami, the Italians already showcased a modified version of the exhaust wing.”
Meanwhile, championship leader Mercedes is preparing its own major response after largely sitting out the Miami upgrade war.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports Mercedes deliberately held back major developments early in 2026 because the W17 already started the season as the benchmark car.
But after Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all introduced significant Miami upgrades, Mercedes is now preparing a major Canada package.
“There’s already talk of a Mercedes 2.0,” the report said.
The package reportedly includes aerodynamic, mechanical and launch-system changes, with Mercedes also said to be introducing a revised steering wheel clutch system aimed particularly at helping Kimi Antonelli after his inconsistent starts despite winning three of the opening four grands prix.
“The new hardware should debut in Canada, eliminating the remaining uncertainties that Kimi encountered in Miami, despite intensive training in simulator starts.”
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