Ferrari believe they have the solution for noticeable balance issues their Macarena rear wing causes

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Ferrari believe Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be able to use their Macarena rear wing at the Japanese Grand Prix with a small change to the internal mechanism.

The Scuderia excited lots of the Tifosi just by taking their Macarena rear wing to the Chinese Grand Prix last week. But Ferrari ultimately only kept the rear wing on the SF-26 for the only practice session in Shanghai, as they quickly realised that it was not ready to be raced there.

Hamilton felt he was finally seeing Ferrari’s “full potential” because of their ability to get the Macarena rear wing ready for the Chinese GP. The Maranello natives had only briefly trialled the rear wing during pre-season testing in Bahrain, with Hamilton testing it for only five laps.

The pride of Italy having to shelve the rear wing in China was not a total failure, though. The data that Ferrari gained with their Macarena rear wing in China has convinced the team that it can be adjusted for the high-speed layout of Suzuka ahead of the Japanese GP next week.

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Ferrari believe their Macarena rear wing will work in Japan with a more precise synchronisation

Ferrari even believe that a small modification to the internal mechanism can ensure that the issues they dealt with in China do not recur in Japan. The Scuderia chose against using the Macarena rear wing in Shanghai as they questioned its reliability and noticed balance issues.

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That is according to Gazzetta dello Sport, which claims Ferrari plan to use the Macarena rear wing for the entire weekend at Suzuka. The Scuderia have even prepared a number of spare parts for the wing for both cars, to ensure that Hamilton and Leclerc can use it all weekend.

Ferrari have planned ‘meticulously’ for the Macarena rear wing, with the Chinese GP viewed as a final test of its robustness and integration ahead of it being fitted permanently from the Japanese GP. The Scuderia also believe the wing may be key in their bid to catch Mercedes.

The Maranello natives intend to make a small change to the rear wing mechanism to fix the reliability issues they encountered. Ferrari also feel a more precise synchronisation between when the front and rear wings close is the ‘solution’ for their ‘noticeable’ balance problems.

Ferrari are keen to make their Macarena rear wing work as it will ‘significantly’ reduce their drag levels, along with increasing the expansion of the airflow exiting the rear diffuser. The rear wing also allows Hamilton and Leclerc to reach a higher top speed and use less energy.

While it was only seen briefly at the second Bahrain test, Hamilton gained 10km/h (6mph) with Ferrari’s Macarena rear wing fitted on his car. The energy that Ferrari can save with it fitted on the SF-26 can also allow them to manage their battery levels far more efficiently.