McLaren will debut its H-Wing, the team’s version of a rotating rear wing, at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The Formula 1 team has been developing its own interpretation of the upside-down rear wing after Ferrari introduced the concept during winter testing. The device rotates 180 degrees between cornering mode and straight-line mode, helping reduce drag on high-speed sections.
McLaren commits H-Wing to both cars at Monza
McLaren first brought a prototype to the Austrian Grand Prix but decided not to test it in free practice after an issue arose in the garage. The Woking-based team later ran a revised version during FP1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the intention of introducing it at a low-drag, high-speed circuit.
Monza provides the first such opportunity, and McLaren has committed to running the H-Wing on both cars.
The name is not a reference to Star Wars. Instead, it comes from the letter H in the Etihad logo displayed on the rear wing of the MCL40. The H runs along the centreline, where the H-Wing’s straight-mode actuator is positioned.
The naming convention follows the tradition of McLaren’s famed F-duct from 2010, which took its name from the F in Vodafone’s logo near the nose of the car, where the duct was installed.
McLaren introduces new low-drag rear wing
“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’s technical director Neil Houldey.
“Overall, we know there is still more performance to unlock from the MCL40, both through maximising the package we already have and through further upgrades planned for the races ahead.”
McLaren will also run a tweaked livery at Monza and next week’s Spanish Grand Prix to promote its partnership with cryptocurrency company OKX.
