Ted Kravitz says Ferrari may ‘blast past’ Mercedes at Chinese Grand Prix with new rear wing

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Ted Kravitz says Ferrari’s new, eye-catching rear wing could make a huge difference at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend. The Scuderia were the closest challengers to Mercedes last time out in Australia.

Charles Leclerc finished third behind George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, with Lewis Hamilton also in the fight. Leclerc and Russell were involved in a prolonged battle for the lead in the early stages before strategic divergence created a gap.

Ferrari’s rotating rear wing was perhaps the standout technical innovation of winter testing. They didn’t bring it to Melbourne but Kravitz confirmed on Paddock Uncut they will fit it to the SF-26 in Shanghai.

Ted Kravitz says Ferrari’s ‘Macarena’ rear wing sheds ‘a bucket load’ of drag

Ferrari are already capable of ‘rocket launcher’ race starts due to their smaller turbo, and their so-called ‘Macarena’ wing could make them an even bigger threat at the start of the race.

The Shanghai International Circuit includes a 1.2km back straight, where the Ferrari should now cut through the air with extreme aerodynamic efficiency. This, in turn, will help them limit their energy consumption.

“It’s on the cars this weekend,” Kravitz said. “It sheds an absolute bucket load of drag. That’s where its benefit is. So on that long straight, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli… are they right to be wary of Ferrari just blasting past them, having no drag?”

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As Kravitz’s Sky Sports colleague Jamie Chadwick explained, it is a risk for Ferrari to unleash a new part at a Sprint weekend. There is only one practice session to test the wing before the competitive action starts, as opposed to the usual three.

“It’s an innovation that they tested in Bahrain, they didn’t take it to Australia,” said Chadwick. “But clearly, they have to have quite a lot of confidence in it for a Sprint weekend to bring it here straight away.

“To have a low-drag wing here is going to be a big benefit, especially with energy consumption as well. Given that they were strong here last year, they’re bringing something new, they looked pretty strong in Australia, I think they can be pretty confident.”

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes have a six-tenth engine advantage in qualifying

Speaking after qualifying in Australia, Hamilton raised suspicions about Mercedes’ engine. He wanted clarity on whether their commanding advantage was purely down to using a controversial fuel compression ratio loophole.

Hamilton said Mercedes were gaining two-tenths every sector, so six-tenths per lap, through energy deployment alone. Of course, if Ferrari can qualify on the second or third row, they could still compete in the race despite the apparent one-lap deficit.

Lando Norris said Ferrari were the quickest through the corners in Melbourne, which suggests they may have the best chassis. The lower-speed layout in China may suit them, though the long-radius corners pose a different test.

Hamilton won the Sprint race in China last year, Ferrari’s only victory of any description since the end of the 2024 season.