Daily News 19

Tag: Formula 1 aerodynamics

  • McLaren to Run Rotating F1 Rear Wing in Italy, Calls It an H-Wing

    McLaren to Run Rotating F1 Rear Wing in Italy, Calls It an H-Wing

    McLaren will debut its H-Wing, the team’s version of a rotating rear wing, at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

    The Formula 1 team has been developing its own interpretation of the upside-down rear wing after Ferrari introduced the concept during winter testing. The device rotates 180 degrees between cornering mode and straight-line mode, helping reduce drag on high-speed sections.

    McLaren commits H-Wing to both cars at Monza

    McLaren first brought a prototype to the Austrian Grand Prix but decided not to test it in free practice after an issue arose in the garage. The Woking-based team later ran a revised version during FP1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the intention of introducing it at a low-drag, high-speed circuit.

    Monza provides the first such opportunity, and McLaren has committed to running the H-Wing on both cars.

    The name is not a reference to Star Wars. Instead, it comes from the letter H in the Etihad logo displayed on the rear wing of the MCL40. The H runs along the centreline, where the H-Wing’s straight-mode actuator is positioned.

    The naming convention follows the tradition of McLaren’s famed F-duct from 2010, which took its name from the F in Vodafone’s logo near the nose of the car, where the duct was installed.

    McLaren introduces new low-drag rear wing

    “This weekend, we have brought what we believe is needed to be competitive, including a new low-drag rear wing specification, including the first use of our H-Wing, alongside some small aerodynamic and low-drag options that we will evaluate before deciding the final specification for qualifying,” said McLaren’s technical director Neil Houldey.

    “Overall, we know there is still more performance to unlock from the MCL40, both through maximising the package we already have and through further upgrades planned for the races ahead.”

    McLaren will also run a tweaked livery at Monza and next week’s Spanish Grand Prix to promote its partnership with cryptocurrency company OKX.

  • Rivals Copying Ferrari’s F1 Aero Designs Is “a good reward” for Maranello

    Rivals Copying Ferrari’s F1 Aero Designs Is “a good reward” for Maranello

    Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believes rival Formula 1 teams copying the SF-26’s innovative aerodynamic concepts is a “good reward” for the Maranello-based team.

    Ferrari entered the 2026 regulations cycle with a striking car featuring several notable areas of technical innovation. At winter testing in Bahrain, the team added a winglet to the structure behind the exhaust. Internally known as Flick Tail Mode (FTM), the device generates additional rear downforce at the cost of a small increase in drag.

    Ferrari introduced another concept the following day: a rotating wing nicknamed the Macarena wing, which flips 180 degrees between cornering and straight-line configurations.

    Ferrari’s exhaust wing copied by rivals

    The exhaust wing has been widely copied by Ferrari’s rivals, although the Scuderia’s design has proved difficult to fully reverse engineer because Ferrari developed parts of the rear of the SF-26 around the concept. The FIA has since banned the exhaust device for 2027 by closing the relevant loophole in the technical regulations, preventing similar designs from becoming increasingly extreme.

    Red Bull has also adopted the upside-down wing, while McLaren has tested its own version. McLaren began work on the project after seeing Ferrari’s design during testing, whereas Red Bull independently pursued a different concept.

    “We were disappointed not to pick that up as quickly as Ferrari did and then Red Bull,” said McLaren technical director Neil Houldey. “As soon as we saw it, we realised there was an opportunity there.”

    Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Vasseur said Ferrari’s aerodynamicists and designers had received a boost from leading the development race. He has encouraged the team to embrace innovation and take greater risks.

    Asked whether rivals copying Ferrari’s exhaust wing and rear wing represented a compliment to Maranello, Vasseur replied: “I’m not there to have compliments. I’m there because I want to win. The best compliment for me is to go on the podium.

    “But yes, it’s true that for the guys in the team, to see Red Bull coming with the wing, and I think probably Red Bull started before seeing our wings, but the others starting to copy [it], or even the device on the exhaust, for the guys in the team who had the idea it’s a good reward.”

    Ferrari’s SF-26 emerges as a leading F1 chassis

    Despite Ferrari’s well-documented power unit weakness, the SF-26 can arguably be regarded as the strongest chassis in Formula 1. After a series of upgrades, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have both won a grand prix, at Silverstone and Barcelona respectively, while Ferrari sits second in the championship standings.

    The SF-26 was the first Ferrari designed under technical director Loic Serra. He was signed in 2023 but joined the team from Mercedes only at the end of 2024 after an extended gardening leave period.

    Vasseur said Serra’s delayed arrival and the time required to develop the 2026 car illustrated why it takes so long to transform an F1 team.

    “The frustration that you can have sometimes in F1 is that on the technical side the process is mega long, because you have a lot of inertia,” he explained.

    “For example, we started to discuss [with Loic] mid ’23 and he joined the team at the end of 2024. Then he’s focused on the car of ’26, and he’s still recruiting people to help him. It means that this process is about years, when on the other hand we want to get results next week.

    “I’m very, very pleased with the choices that we made, with the set-up that we have, and the collaboration that we have in the team. The team is strong. The collaboration is mega strong.”

  • McLaren’s Newest Upgrades: What They Reveal Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix

    McLaren’s Newest Upgrades: What They Reveal Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix

    McLaren’s Zandvoort upgrades helped deliver back-to-back wins

    Following its all-new floor, wakeboards and floor slots introduced in Hungary, McLaren brought further performance upgrades to Zandvoort. The latest package included a new rear wing, engine cover updates, diffuser tweaks and revised front wheel rims.

    “The items aren’t linked as a package,” explained McLaren’s technical director Neil Houldey of the Zandvoort parts. “They all provide aero performance as individual components and don’t need each other to perform.”

    The two consecutive upgrade packages proved highly effective, helping Lando Norris secure back-to-back Grand Prix victories, with both wins coming from pole position.

    Source: www.formula1.com