McLaren debuts its H-Wing rotating rear wing at Monza to chase straight-line speed

McLaren will run its H-Wing rotating rear wing on both cars at this weekend’s Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, marking the first competitive deployment of a device the team has been developing since Ferrari unveiled a similar concept during winter testing.

The H-Wing is McLaren’s interpretation of the so-called ‘Macarena’ wing — an inverted rear wing that rotates 180 degrees, switching between a cornering configuration and a low-drag straight-line mode. The Woking outfit first brought a prototype to the Austrian Grand Prix but shelved a free practice run after encountering a garage issue. A revised version was subsequently tested in Hungary’s opening practice session, with low-drag, high-speed venues identified as the target for its race introduction. Monza, one of the fastest stops on the calendar, is the first such opportunity.

The name is not a nod to the Star Wars universe but a reference to the letter H in the Etihad logo that sits along the centreline of the MCL40’s rear wing — precisely where the H-Wing’s straight-mode actuator is located. It continues a McLaren tradition: the team’s celebrated F-duct of 2010 was named after the F in the Vodafone branding on the car’s nose, above the duct’s inlet.

“This weekend, we have brought what we believe is needed to be competitive, including a new low-drag rear wing specification, including the first use of our H-Wing, alongside some small aerodynamic and low-drag options that we will evaluate before deciding the final specification for qualifying,” said McLaren technical director Neil Houldey.

Houldey added that the team believes further performance remains to be extracted from the MCL40, both through optimising the existing package and through additional upgrades planned for upcoming races.

McLaren will also run a revised livery at Monza and at next week’s Spanish Grand Prix as part of its partnership with cryptocurrency company OKX.