McLaren abandons inverted H-wing design for F1 Spanish Grand Prix.

McLaren has decided to shelve its H-wing design for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, with plans to reintroduce its version of the rotating Formula 1 rear wing in Baku.

The team based in Woking had been developing its own version of the rear wing that rotates 180 degrees between Corner Mode and Straight Mode, inspired by Ferrari's pioneering concept seen during winter testing. After some delays, the new wing made its debut in practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, followed by further testing in Zandvoort, and was finally utilized in competition at last weekend's Italian GP.

Reports indicate that the system, which McLaren refers to internally as the H-Wing, functioned as expected, effectively reducing drag on the straights. However, Motorsport.com has learned that McLaren will retain the H-wing system on its low-drag wing for the time being, opting not to implement it in its higher downforce configurations.

At the high-downforce Madring circuit, making its debut this weekend, McLaren plans to use the newly launched rear wing from Zandvoort, featuring eye-catching sculpted endplates.

As teams must strategically manage their production resources, McLaren opted to prioritize accelerating its H-wing concept for Monza, where the drag reduction provides a significantly greater lap time advantage compared to more twisty tracks. Consequently, it chose not to create a version of the Zandvoort wing incorporating the H-wing concept.

McLaren will utilize its Zandvoort wing in Madrid, showcasing sculpted endplates.

The Monza H-wing is anticipated to make its comeback at the high-speed Baku street circuit at the end of September, a venue that prioritizes both top speed and efficiency. In the meantime, the team aims to develop another version of its high downforce wing later, designed from scratch to include the rotating rear wing actuator.

As the Madrid weekend approaches, McLaren positions itself as one of the frontrunners to vie for victory on the demanding 5.4km circuit, buoyed by two recent wins for Lando Norris at the intricate Hungaroring and Zandvoort tracks.

The name H-wing pays homage to the letter H in the Etihad logo, which features on the rear of the MCL40's wing. This letter runs along the centerline where the actuator for the H-Wing's straight mode is located. The naming follows a legacy established by the team's renowned F-duct in 2010, which was inspired by the F in Vodafone along the nose where the duct was placed.