Oliver Bearman watched, wide-eyed, during the second test week in Bahrain as Ferrari’s radical rear wing unfolded. The Scuderia brought an entirely new concept for the component that allows it to rotate upside down. That should let the SF-26 hit higher top speeds down the straights. Bearman, however, didn’t immediately realise the rotation was deliberate: ‘I thought it was broken’.
During the second test week in Bahrain all eyes were on Ferrari’s rear wing. The Scuderia brought a radically different take on the component on Thursday. The Italian team’s entire rear wing rotates upside down and snaps open. That reduces aerodynamic drag on the straights, allowing the SF-26 to reach higher top speeds. In the corners the wing closes again, generating downforce.
‘Thought it was broken’
Oliver Bearman saw the concept in action during his laps at the Bahrain International Circuit. “I was behind Lewis and saw it happen. I thought, ‘What on earth is going on?’ I thought it was broken,” the Haas driver admits honestly in Bahrain. “To be fair, it’s super-innovative and it also looks very slick. If it works on track, they’ve definitely done something right.”
Bearman actually kicked off his Formula 1 career with a one-off stint at Ferrari. The young driver had to jump in at the last minute during the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP when regular driver Carlos Sainz suffered from appendicitis. Bearman is full of praise for his old employer’s new rear wing. “It looks cool, but also heavy,” the driver continues. “I think everyone has considered it — we at Haas did too — but you always have to accept compromises with things like this.”
