Red Bull sees its new wind tunnel as a major future weapon
Red Bull has provided an update on its long-awaited new wind tunnel project, with technical director Pierre Waché offering insight into the team’s progress. While the upgrade package introduced in Miami delivered encouraging signs, the French engineer remains cautious about the correlation between wind tunnel data and real-world track performance.
The Milton Keynes-based team is still relying on the oldest wind tunnel currently used in Formula 1, an ageing facility that continues to place limitations on development. Speaking to Motorsport, Pierre Waché admitted the team is still working within the same constraints.
“Yes, things are moving in the right direction, but we still have the same tool and the same problems. We are limited by… well, we are trying to maximise what we have, and we will see about the rest,” he explained.
He added: “But we have a new tool arriving soon, and I hope it will allow us to take another step forward.”
Timeline for the new Red Bull facility
The new wind tunnel, currently under construction at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes campus, is expected to become operational at the beginning of 2027.
Pierre Waché clarified: “We hope to have it running at the start of next year.” Although he had previously indicated that construction was progressing around three months ahead of schedule, he has now made it clear that the facility will not be available during the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Until then, Red Bull will continue relying on the existing structure both for the continued development of the current RB22 and for the initial groundwork on its 2027 challenger.
During his time as team principal, Christian Horner repeatedly described the current wind tunnel as a “Cold War relic” and compared working with the 70-year-old Bedford facility to “looking at two different clocks,” highlighting the repeated correlation issues between simulation data and actual on-track performance.
Red Bull continues to develop despite limitations
Despite those restrictions, Red Bull has still managed to introduce an effective upgrade package in Miami, including its own interpretation of the now well-known Macarena-style front wing concept, along with heavily revised sidepods.
Pierre Waché explained: “Those sidepods had been in development since testing in Bahrain. The original package intended for the Bahrain Grand Prix was more or less what we introduced in Japan.”
The Japanese upgrade package had effectively been brought forward after the cancellation of the Middle Eastern races in April.
For the Canadian Grand Prix, Red Bull is expected to introduce a “small step” in development, while the beginning of the European leg of the season should bring another more substantial upgrade, with the ideal target being to finally reach the minimum weight limit during the team’s home event at the Austrian Grand Prix. Pierre Waché underlined that the Miami package performed exactly as Red Bull had predicted, offering encouraging signs regarding correlation even while still using the old wind tunnel infrastructure.
Overall, Red Bull’s early 2026 season has featured a competitive new power unit, while the chassis initially fell short of expectations, forcing the team to focus aggressively on aerodynamic development in an effort to recover lost ground.
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