McLaren may test the Macarena rear wing again during the upcoming Hungarian GP. The special spoiler is part of a broader upgrade package that will be rolled out during the race weekend in Budapest. The team hopes to close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari, the only teams that have managed to win Grands Prix this season. The Macarena wing is expected to definitively appear on the car at circuits like Monza and Baku.
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In recent weeks, McLaren had already designated the Hungarian GP – the last race before the summer break – as the next opportunity to provide the MCL40 with upgrades. After significant changes in Miami and Montreal and various smaller updates during the European F1 season, the car will once again undergo a major overhaul at the Hungaroring. “We’re getting an upgrade package this weekend, and in such a competitive season, every development is important,” commented Race Director Randy Singh in an official press release. “It will be great to gain more insight into the performance of these new parts during free practice.”
“Our goal is to make the most of everything we have at our disposal, carry the positive momentum into the summer break, and put ourselves in the strongest possible position for the second half of the championship.” Andrea Stella is satisfied with the effect of previous upgrades, although he doesn’t want to celebrate too early; the lead of Mercedes and Ferrari might still be too large for that. “Our development has been quite strong in recent months,” he reacted after the Belgian GP. “This has led to the upgrades we introduced in Miami, and now a new round of upgrades is coming in Hungary.”
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Competitiveness
McLaren started the season relatively strong but couldn’t always keep up with Mercedes’ pace. Ferrari also outpaced the reigning world champions multiple times. Meanwhile, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have won a race. In addition, Red Bull also seems to be making big strides with the RB22. Max Verstappen was on the front row in Spa-Francorchamps and secured another podium finish in the race. “It’s difficult to be confident that we can keep up with Ferrari and Mercedes,” Stella admitted. “But hopefully, our competitiveness will steadily increase again from the Hungarian GP. We have now embarked on a clear path with our development.”
Reportedly, McLaren will also test the Macarena rear wing again in Hungary, the concept that Ferrari introduced during winter testing. The Papayas already brought their own version to Austria but have not yet put this wing to use. The Macarena design is precise, as proven by Max Verstappen’s crashes in Austria and Great Britain. During free practice in Budapest, McLaren first wants to collect more data before the wing is deployed at circuits like Baku and Monza.
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