Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Lewis Hamilton admitted he was puzzled by Ferrari’s decision to remove its experimental “Macarena” rear wing ahead of Sprint Qualifying at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
The innovative rear wing design, which rotates up to 270 degrees when opening and closing, was first introduced during pre-season testing in Bahrain. However, the component was not used on either Ferrari car during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix earlier this month.
Ferrari fitted the wing to both Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc during the sole practice session at the Shanghai International Circuit. Despite that test run, the team ultimately reverted to a more conventional rear wing configuration for the Sprint Qualifying session.
Hamilton went on to qualify fourth with a fastest lap of 1:32.161, while Leclerc secured sixth position. The Ferrari drivers were closely grouped with the McLaren pair of Lando Norris in third and Oscar Piastri in fifth.
However, both Ferrari drivers were still significantly behind the front row dominated by Mercedes, where George Russell claimed pole position ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Russell’s pole lap of 1:31.520 left Hamilton trailing by 0.641 seconds.
Reflecting on the decision to abandon the new rear wing configuration, Hamilton said he was not immediately aware of the reasoning behind Ferrari’s choice, particularly as he had not yet run the conventional setup extensively at the Shanghai circuit.
“I don't really know why we went back on it,” Hamilton said.
“We rushed it to get it here, and it was not supposed to be on the car until like race four or five or something like that.”
“So the team did a great job to rush it here, and we only had two of them, but maybe it was a bit premature.”
“So we took it off the car. It was still great, and we'll work to try and bring it back when it is ready.”
Ferrari’s decision to temporarily withdraw the experimental rear wing highlights the cautious approach teams often take with new aerodynamic components early in the season. Further evaluation of the design is expected before Ferrari considers reintroducing the package in upcoming rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 championship.
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