Lando Norris has welcomed McLaren’s new “Macarena” McLaren Macarena rear wing at the Austrian GP, but he has not hidden his frustration. The reigning world champion says it should have arrived much sooner, and his words paint a clear picture of how far McLaren has fallen behind in the 2026 development race.
What Is the McLaren Macarena Rear Wing?
The “Macarena” wing is a clever rotating rear wing design. Ferrari first grabbed attention when it debuted the novel innovation during pre-season testing in Bahrain, before it made its race debut in China. Red Bull also debuted its own, much larger, version at the Miami Grand Prix.
McLaren revealed it will bring its own version of the so-called “Macarena” rear wing to the eighth round of the 2026 season at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. However, McLaren’s version of the unique rear wing design first pioneered by rivals Ferrari is “not ready to race” and will instead be tested by Lando Norris during practice on Friday.
Norris himself was honest about the situation. “It’s just a test wing, so I don’t even think we’re going to be racing it this weekend, honestly,” said Norris. “We’re testing to make sure it actually works.”
Check out our full breakdown of what teams have been bringing to Austria: Top Teams Bring Powerful Austrian GP Upgrades to Spielberg.
Norris: McLaren Macarena Rear Wing Came Three Months Too Late
Norris did not hold back when asked about the timing of the wing’s arrival. “I wish we had it three months ago already. So this is where I say we’re three months behind on developments, and this is included in that. So it’s a test project, that’s it for this weekend, and hopefully in a few weeks we can introduce it again.”
Norris gave credit for the work done at McLaren to prepare its own prototype, but he also said this timeline, against Ferrari and Red Bull who debuted their wings in race trim in Miami nearly two months ago, was part of McLaren’s overall delay in the development race.
He was equally clear that one upgrade will not fix everything. “No. One good upgrade, no. We need three, four, five.” He added: “That’s a lot of bits, so I don’t think we’re going to be quickest any time soon. Hopefully over the next three, four, five months, we can catch up and narrow the gap.”
Oscar Piastri echoed those cautious feelings. “It’s not going to be easy for us. Yes, it has been a good track for us in the past, but there’s no illusion for us that we’re suddenly going to be amazing here and the team to beat.”
You can read more about the challenging Austrian GP weekend so far in our Austrian GP FP1 report, where Antonelli led the way as Verstappen and Norris hit trouble. It was also a dramatic morning for the pit lane, with a mechanic incident during FP1 shocking the paddock.
McLaren’s Tough 2026 Title Defence
McLaren is yet to win a race so far in 2026 and has endured a tough start to its double title defence this year. Norris sits fifth in the Drivers’ Championship after the first seven rounds, 83 points down on leader Antonelli, while McLaren are third in the Teams’ battle, holding 141 points to Ferrari’s 190 and Mercedes’ 262.
Meanwhile, rivals are not standing still. Zak Brown hinted after Miami that McLaren believed a rotating rear wing could prove “beneficial.” McLaren technical director Neil Houldey added that the experimental rear wing will run throughout Friday’s sessions, and these developments are “all part of our season-long development pathway.”
McLaren is not alone in facing pressure this weekend. Verstappen and Red Bull are also unleashing a major upgrade package at their home race, while Mercedes were forced to tweak their diffuser following a rival protest.
Looking Ahead: Can McLaren Close the Gap?
The McLaren Macarena rear wing is a real sign that the team is fighting back. But Norris is being realistic. “To catch up takes a huge effort from the team, which they’re doing, and everyone’s very excited and motivated because we know it’s possible.”
Austria has been a happy hunting ground for McLaren in the past, with a one-two finish for the team last year. If the new wing can be made race-ready in the coming weeks, it could be a turning point. For now, all eyes are on the data from Friday practice. The upgrade race in 2026 is very much still on.
