Mercedes postpones 'Macarena' wing until 2026.

      "The key is in the timing."

      Mercedes is anticipated to unveil another set of upgrades following the summer break, but Auto Motor und Sport indicates that the increasingly popular 'Macarena' rear wing won't be included. Ferrari and Red Bull developed the rotating rear-wing concept over the winter, while McLaren tested its own version in Hungary and is expected to implement it by Monza. In contrast, Mercedes has achieved strong straight-line speed without it and is reportedly not willing to allocate the necessary development budget for this system this year. Instead, they are focusing their resources on the 2027 car. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord stated that Mercedes intentionally opted for a less aggressive development strategy compared to its competitors. "The wind tunnel produces a specific amount of lap time every week," he remarked. "With the budget cap, you must decide when to introduce parts to the track and realize the performance gain. Ideally, an upgrade should coincide with a component approaching the end of its service life." "The key is in the timing." Lord mentioned that Mercedes has still implemented numerous smaller changes that didn't always feature on the FIA’s official upgrade lists. "This has allowed us to maintain our position," he noted. Meanwhile, McLaren's team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged that developing their own Macarena system has been challenging. "It has been a complicated project thus far," the Italian said. "We anticipated its complexity, and I must say our design department executed this project effectively, ensuring it functions well regarding the wing, including the mechanical actuation and response times." Stella emphasized that track testing is particularly crucial because the challenge relates to the aerodynamic behavior of the entire car as downforce is restored. "With a project like this, you can't rely solely on the wind tunnel."