Racing Bulls is preparing a new low-drag rear-wing solution for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza as the Faenza team looks for an additional advantage in its close battle with Alpine for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship. The so-called ‘Macarena’ reverse rear wing was tested during a filming day at Imola and is expected to make its race debut at Formula 1’s Temple of Speed after producing encouraging initial feedback.
At Monza, aerodynamic efficiency is fundamental to achieving the highest possible average speed around the 5.793-kilometre circuit. The key set-up compromise is finding enough downforce to negotiate the three chicanes – the Prima Variante, Roggia and Ascari – without creating excessive drag on the long straights.
Racing Bulls targets Monza efficiency with new rear wing
Reducing aerodynamic drag will be one of the main requirements for any team hoping to perform strongly at the Italian Grand Prix. A powerful power unit and effective electrical energy management will also be crucial, especially because relying solely on energy recovered under braking will not be enough.
Monza is expected to be the most demanding circuit of the season from this perspective. Its unique characteristics should expose the weaknesses of Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, which have introduced far greater emphasis on electrical energy harvesting and deployment alongside traditional aerodynamic efficiency.
Racing Bulls carried out important preparatory work last week at Imola. In addition to giving Nikola Tsolov a run in last year’s VCARB02 as part of a Testing of Previous Cars programme, the team completed a filming day with its two race drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson.
The 200 kilometres permitted by the FIA for commercial filming days have increasingly become valuable opportunities for teams to conduct meaningful on-track checks ahead of important race weekends. Racing Bulls used its Imola running to evaluate the solution it now intends to bring to Monza.
Racing Bulls and Alpine separated by only three points
The Faenza-based team, led by Alan Permane, is chasing an impressive objective: finishing as the best of the rest behind the four leading teams that currently remain out of reach. Racing Bulls and Alpine are involved in a particularly close fight for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, with Racing Bulls currently holding a three-point advantage.
Neither of the team’s two cars managed to score at Zandvoort, although both came close. Maintaining its position ahead of Alpine will therefore make every potential performance gain significant as the championship enters its next phase. The team’s progress has been particularly notable in a season in which even Red Bull’s RB22 has displayed important weaknesses under Formula 1’s new technical regulations.
Racing Bulls’ wider 2026 development has helped establish the team as one of the strongest forces in the midfield, making the Monza-specific package particularly important in a battle where only a handful of points currently separate the two rivals.
‘Macarena’ wing takes inspiration from Red Bull concept
At Monza, Racing Bulls is expected to debut the reverse rear wing developed by the aerodynamic group led by Tim Goss at the team’s Milton Keynes facility. The solution appeared on the car at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit and showed a clear technical connection to Red Bull’s so-called ‘Macarena’ concept.
The Racing Bulls version uses a flap-rotation system similar to Red Bull’s design and different from the original concept developed by Ferrari for the SF-26. That relationship could prove particularly useful at Monza, where reducing drag while retaining sufficient aerodynamic stability through the braking zones and chicanes will be critical.
Encouragingly for Racing Bulls, its version of the ‘Macarena’ does not appear to have suffered from the reliability problems that accompanied development of the system fitted to the Red Bull RB22. The team could therefore have another useful technical tool alongside its Red Bull-Ford DM01 power unit.
The engine itself also represents an important asset. The FIA confirmed Red Bull as the benchmark at the end of its second ADUO assessment period, with the latest FIA ADUO rankings placing Red Bull at the top. Combining that power unit strength with an efficient Monza-specific aerodynamic package could give Racing Bulls an important opportunity as its three-point fight with Alpine continues.
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