Ferrari’s radical rear wing concept leaves F1 commentators stunned

Earlier, while Lewis Hamilton was driving down the straight, the rear wing of his SF-26 flipped when the slot gap closed.

This particularly garnered attention as the wing flips upside down when open to reduce drag – a feature that immediately caught the attention of the commentary team.

“I love the Ferrari rear wing! They have taken the upper plane, and it's flipping 180 degrees. It's very exciting and another great little development in a season that will be full of great little developments,” he said.

The words of the Sky Sports commentator were further corroborated by former driver Anthony Davidson, who suggested Ferrari may be using the rear wing as a clever solution to complement the diffuser currently fitted on their car.

“Ferrari might be doing that with the rear wing as a solution to the diffuser they have been running in this test, which appears to be giving them a lot of slow-speed downforce,” he said.

It’s worth noting that the sweeping regulation changes heralded for Formula 1 from the 2026 season feature Active Aero, replacing the DRS that teams had become accustomed to over the years. When deployed, these active aero elements allow both the rear and front wing flaps to adjust dynamically, reducing drag and enhancing performance.

The Ferrari outfit has also been hit with a technical problem on the SF-26 during Bahrain testing.

The Maranello-based team has now been confined to its garage after Hamilton, who was set to drive throughout the day, was forced to return after only five laps.