Ferrari finally gave up on using its innovative rear wing during the sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, a decision that left Lewis Hamilton perplexed.
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The Scuderia had caught the paddock’s attention with an unprecedented rear wing, nicknamed “Macarena”, introduced for the first time during winter testing at the Sakhir circuit. This device, capable of pivoting up to 270 degrees under the new active aerodynamics rules, promised to offer a significant aerodynamic advantage.
Ferrari had brought this highly anticipated part for the Chinese Grand Prix weekend at the Shanghai circuit. Both cars of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were equipped with it during the single free practice session.
Yet, at the crucial moment of sprint qualifying, the Italian team decided to return to a more conventional configuration. A strategic choice that surprised even those in Hamilton’s own cockpit.
Hamilton’s confusion
After the session, the seven-time world champion admitted he did not know the precise reasons for this last-minute change.
“I don’t really know why we went back, explained the British driver. We brought this wing in as an emergency to have it here, even though it wasn’t supposed to be used until the fourth or fifth race of the season.”
The development of this technical element therefore seems to have been accelerated in an attempt to benefit from its potential more quickly. Hamilton nevertheless acknowledges that Ferrari did not yet have all the necessary elements to fully exploit this wing.
“The team did an incredible job to bring it here quickly, but we only had two copies and it was perhaps a bit premature” he continued.
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This factor could explain the decision to remove the part for the decisive session, in order to avoid any technical risk or imperfect exploitation of this new element. Ferrari therefore preferred to rely on a proven solution for the sprint qualifying, while finalizing the full integration of this innovation.
A solid qualifying nonetheless
Without this experimental wing, Hamilton still stood out by setting the fourth fastest time of the session at the Shanghai circuit. His time of 1:32.161 puts him just behind Lando Norris and ahead of his teammate Leclerc, sixth. The two Ferraris thus find themselves in the heart of a tight group also composed of the McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri.
On the other hand, the Mercedes dominated the session, with an impressive one-two finish led by George Russell ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Russell’s benchmark time, of 1:31.520, puts Hamilton more than six-tenths behind.
Despite this temporary step back, Ferrari does not seem to be abandoning its famous wing. Hamilton assures that the team is already working to reintroduce it once it is fully ready.
“We took it off the car, but the car remains high-performing and we will continue to work to put it back as soon as it’s ready” he concluded.
This innovation could therefore reappear during the next races, once Ferrari has finalized the last necessary adjustments to fully exploit its potential.
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