In China, the Macarena returns, Ferrari’s inverted mobile wing glimpsed during the Bahrain tests. In the Shanghai pits, both SF-26s are fitted with the new wing, whose peculiarity will guarantee a reduction in drag on the straight. The advantage is not only in terms of top speed, but also in fuel consumption and energy saving, the management of which is one of the keys to the new technical cycle.
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The Macarena is back
On the day dedicated to technical checks, in Shanghai both Ferraris are equipped with the inverted mobile wing, commonly known as the “Macarena”. The main identifying element is the absence of the mobile profile actuator in the central position, moved laterally to the endplate to allow full rotation of the flaps. The solution, which has already caught the attention of the competition, aims to reduce drag on the straight as much as possible, the advantage of which does not only translate into an increase in top speed. Reducing drag also means decreasing energy consumption, saving a few more fractions of a Megajoule to spend on using the electric motor for longer.
This all happens thanks to a more efficient closed-wing architecture, also thanks to the absence of the central actuator, which allows the profiles to work along their entire length. In the open configuration, however, it is not clear how much the benefit is linked to the direct reduction of the drag of the wing alone. The flipping of the profiles, in fact, also has an influence on the pressure and the flow field behind the car, impacting the performance of the diffuser and therefore the downforce and drag generated by the floor.
Possible race debut
After testing the Macarena for a handful of laps in Bahrain, Ferrari preferred to avoid using it in Australia, a track where it would have been of great help in terms of energy management. In the meantime, in Maranello, they have refined some aspects of the system, including the closing and opening time, which by regulation must be less than 4 tenths of a second. It remains to be seen whether the presence of the inverted mobile wing in China is just another test or the signal of a race debut, although the availability of only one free practice session and the equipping of both SF-26s with the Macarena suggest the second hypothesis.
