McLaren Set for Major F1 Upgrade? Zak Brown Hints at Radical ‘Macarena’ Wing Adoption

McLaren could soon become the latest team to introduce Formula 1’s increasingly talked-about ‘Macarena’ wing upgrade, after CEO Zak Brown strongly hinted the Woking-based squad may be preparing its own version of the radical aerodynamic innovation.

The intriguing design, which has quickly become one of the hottest technical topics in Formula 1, is believed to significantly improve airflow efficiency and generate greater downforce, potentially offering teams a major performance advantage in the battle for podiums and championship points.

Initially spotted on Scuderia Ferrari’s SF-26 during pre-season testing in Bahrain, the unique wing concept immediately grabbed attention across the paddock. Ferrari briefly introduced another version during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, but early results reportedly failed to meet expectations, leading the Italian team to temporarily shelve the upgrade following free practice sessions.

However, Ferrari refused to abandon the concept entirely.

After further aerodynamic development and testing during a private filming day at Monza, the upgraded design made a highly anticipated comeback at the Miami Grand Prix, appearing more refined and seemingly ready for long-term use.

Meanwhile, reigning Formula 1 giants Red Bull Racing also arrived in Miami with their own interpretation of the controversial aerodynamic package, later revealing that their version had actually been developed before Ferrari publicly introduced theirs.

With two major teams now actively exploring the technology, speculation has intensified over which constructor will become the next to embrace the bold concept.

That speculation only increased after Zak Brown suggested McLaren would be foolish to ignore a potentially game-changing upgrade.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the McLaren chief admitted it would make complete sense for the team to explore its own variation if the design continues to prove effective on rival cars.

For a team aggressively chasing consistent race-winning pace, failing to investigate a proven performance gain would seem highly unlikely.

The possibility of McLaren adopting the so-called ‘Macarena’ wing is especially significant given the team’s remarkable resurgence in recent seasons.

With drivers like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri helping transform McLaren into genuine front-running contenders, any aerodynamic breakthrough could further strengthen the Papaya outfit’s challenge against dominant rivals.

As Formula 1’s technical arms race intensifies, aerodynamic innovation continues to separate championship challengers from midfield competitors.

And with Ferrari and Red Bull already experimenting with the eye-catching design, McLaren fans may not have to wait long before seeing their own team unveil a bold new upgrade package.

If introduced successfully, the radical wing could become one of the season’s most influential technical developments—and potentially another major step in McLaren’s return to Formula 1 glory.

“We have [thought about it], he said.

“As you can imagine, all the teams look at what each other do.

“It’s clever and we think it could be beneficial, so not surprised to see another team using it.”

McLaren have been genuinely considered as one of the teams with the most ingenuity in recent years, debuting its ‘flexi-wing’ in 2024, which led to an FIA clampdown on the design.

This was also followed by unfounded suspicions from Red Bull that it was deploying a suspect procedure to keep its tyres cool in races, which was giving them an overall performance advantage.