Red Bull is ahead of the curve: the construction of its new F1 wind tunnel is going full steam. This significant update comes directly from Milton Keynes. Until the new facility becomes operational, the Austrian team will continue using its current equipment, which, despite being upgraded, is considered “a relic of the Cold War.”
The wind tunnel is one of the most critical tools available to teams. Studying airflow around the car is essential for understanding and improving its on-track behavior. Teams invest heavily in increasingly advanced facilities, such as the state-of-the-art projects recently launched by McLaren and Aston Martin.
Among the top teams in the paddock, however, Red Bull stands out for its continued reliance on outdated, albeit updated, equipment. This wind tunnel, as confirmed by Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, has been in use since his time with Arrows. For this reason, a new facility is being built at the Red Bull Campus, and construction is reportedly “ahead of schedule.”
Pierre Waché Confident About Red Bull’s New Wind Tunnel
In an interview with Motorsport.com, Milton Keynes’ technical director provided an important update on the project’s progress: “At the moment, we are ahead of schedule, three months ahead of plan. The team is doing an excellent job, but you never know if delays might occur elsewhere. It’s a significant project.”
“It will be used for the 2027 season, or perhaps even help us during 2026. The wind tunnel currently in use is the oldest in this sport. I was talking to Jos [Verstappen] about it the other day, and he confirmed they were already using this wind tunnel when he was with Arrows. It’s an old tool we’ve updated. There’s a lot of new stuff inside, but we still face limitations.”
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