Ferrari has brought an upgraded Macarena rear wing to the Hungarian Grand Prix, adding a triple-element design as it looks to make better use of a track where downforce matters more than reducing drag on the straights.
The change is notable because Ferrari did not make the same winglet switch at the Monaco Grand Prix, even though that event also places a premium on rear-end grip and aerodynamic efficiency. This time, the team has acted on what Lewis Hamilton reportedly spotted as a missed trick, and the updated wing is now part of Ferrari's weekend package in Hungary.
Why the Hungary upgrade matters
The Hungaroring is one of the more demanding circuits for aerodynamic performance, so a rear-wing concept that increases downforce can be a useful gain. In simple terms, this is the kind of track where a team is more likely to value stability and cornering performance than outright top-speed efficiency.
Ferrari's move also fits the broader pattern of teams refining rear-wing ideas for one-off use at specific venues. The Macarena-style wing is not a season-long philosophical shift so much as a targeted response to the characteristics of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
McLaren is testing the same idea
Ferrari is not the only team looking in this direction. Ahead of opening practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren fitted a revised wing to Oscar Piastri's car, and the team planned to test its wing before qualifying. That matters because it is McLaren's first race-weekend trial of the Macarena-style rear wing.
McLaren's approach has already seen some stop-start development this summer. At the Austrian Grand Prix, the team planned to trial its lower-drag wing but removed it before the car left the garage after early problems were discovered. In Hungary, though, the concept is back on the car and set for a proper race-weekend evaluation.
That makes this weekend a useful comparison point for Ferrari and McLaren. Both teams are working on the same area of the car, both are using the Hungarian Grand Prix to gather real data, and both are trying to find a more effective balance for a circuit that rewards rear-wing efficiency.
