McLaren is throwing a major aerodynamic upgrade at their MCL40. They will officially test a modified version of their highly anticipated “macarena” flip-over rear wing during the first practice session at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. The official upgrade confirmation sets the stage for a critical weekend of testing.
Reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli will slide into Oscar Piastri’s seat to conduct the FP1 evaluation. The test arrives alongside a massive upgrade package featuring a completely redesigned floor as the team scrambles to close their 163-point deficit to Mercedes. McLaren currently sits third in the constructors’ standings after the first 10 races.
But fans expecting to see the wing in Sunday’s race will have to wait. McLaren explicitly stated the radical rear wing will not race in Budapest. It is also benched for the subsequent Dutch Grand Prix.
Instead, the team is aggressively targeting Monza for its earliest competitive debut. That high-speed Italian circuit offers the long straights necessary to maximize the drag reduction benefits of the new design.
The 2026 Aero Rules Force High-Speed Gambles
The push for this specific design stems directly from the new 2026 Formula 1 regulations. The updated rules allow rear wings to flip more than 180 degrees in straight-line mode. That produces significantly higher top speeds.
Mastering the ‘macarena’ concept has yielded wildly different results across the paddock. Ferrari successfully introduced their version during Bahrain testing and has been racing it effectively since the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull found the physical limit the hard way. They were forced to completely abandon their flip-over wing ahead of the Belgian GP. Max Verstappen suffered back-to-back high-speed crashes in Austria and Britain. Both incidents were caused by the wing failing to fully close on the approach to heavy braking zones. McLaren is testing heavily this week to avoid that exact aerodynamic trap.