Ferrari's rotating rear wing sparks Williams' 24‑hour test verdict

Ferrari's Bahrain test featured a new active rear wing that rotates its upper elements 180°, essentially flipping the wing upside‑down. Designed to boost down‑force without extra drag, the concept has the paddock buzzing. Williams boss James Vowles said his team will have a verdict within 24 hours and that the idea isn’t on their radar.

Why it matters:

• A working rotating wing could set a new benchmark for active aero under 2026 regs, giving early adopters a performance edge.
• Williams will use the 24‑hour data to decide whether to shift its aero development, potentially saving months of work.

The details:

• Ferrari’s concept pivots the upper wing element inside the end‑plates, inverting the profile to increase down‑force while keeping drag low.
• The system is powered and continuous, unlike DRS, so the wing can be adjusted lap‑by‑lap for active control.
• Vowles called it “interesting” but noted pros and cons; Williams will review the data tonight and confirmed it isn’t on their radar.

What's next:

• If the data shows a net gain, Williams may explore a similar mechanism; if not, it will stick with its current aero programme.
• The paddock will watch the verdict; a positive result could spark rotating‑wing designs before the Melbourne Grand Prix.