The Woking team chooses not to use the 'H-Wing' at the new Spanish circuit and saves it for the urban layout of Azerbaijan, the decision responds to the need to optimize resources and prioritize where drag reduction brings the most advantage.
McLaren has made a strategic decision ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The British team will not use its innovative rotating rear wing, known internally as the 'H-Wing', at the new Madring circuit. According to what was learned in recent hours, the Woking team has chosen to reserve this part for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will take place in two weekends at the urban circuit of Azerbaijan.
The 'H-Wing' is McLaren's interpretation of a concept that Ferrari debuted during winter testing, it is a rear wing that rotates 180 degrees between "corner mode" and "straight mode," reducing aerodynamic drag on the straights and improving top speed. McLaren worked for months on its own version, which finally debuted in Zandvoort F1 practice and was used for the first time in a competitive session at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.
The system worked as planned in Monza, where the mechanism helped reduce aerodynamic drag on the long straights of the Italian circuit. However, McLaren has decided to keep the 'H-Wing' on its low drag wing instead of retroactively incorporating it into its higher downforce packages. This decision responds to a matter of resources and priorities, teams must carefully allocate their production capacity and McLaren preferred to focus on accelerating the development of the concept for Monza, where drag reduction means a much bigger lap time gain.
At Madring Grand Prix, McLaren will use the new rear wing presented in Zandvoort, which features striking side fins. This design is optimized for higher downforce circuits like the Madrid track, which combines urban and permanent sections with 22 corners. The British team trusts that this configuration will allow it to fight for victory at Formula 1's debut in Madrid, where Lando Norris arrives after his two consecutive wins at the Hungaroring and Zandvoort.
The 'H-Wing' will return to action in Baku Grand Prix, a high speed urban circuit where aerodynamic efficiency and top speed are crucial. McLaren plans to later manufacture another version of its higher downforce wing, designed from scratch to incorporate the rotating actuator. This evolution will allow the team to have 'H-Wing' technology in a wider range of configurations, adapting to the demands of each circuit.
The name 'H-Wing' is a nod to the H in the Etihad logo that adorns the rear of the MCL40's wing, the letter runs along the central line where the straight mode actuator is located. This tradition of naming aerodynamic innovations with letters follows in the wake of the famous 'F-duct' that McLaren introduced in 2010, named after the 'F' of Vodafone located on the nose.
McLaren's decision reflects the complexity of resource management in modern Formula 1. Every part, every evolution and every configuration must be justified in terms of performance and cost, the Woking team has once again demonstrated its ability to prioritize and adapt to circumstances, and the weekend in Madrid will be a test for its strategy. The championship fight is tighter than ever and every detail counts.
