Good news for Red Bull: the Austrian team’s wind tunnel is reportedly ready ahead of schedule. The construction of the new facility is three months ahead of plan. The brand-new wind tunnel is likely to be fully operational by 2026, allowing the 2027 car to be designed in the new facility.
The swift construction of Red Bull’s wind tunnel comes at a crucial time, as the competition is not standing still in this area. McLaren already opened a new wind tunnel in 2023, reaping the benefits with the strong MCL38 in 2024. Aston Martin will also soon have a similar facility at their disposal.
Christian Horner previously complained about the outdated wind tunnel. “Our wind tunnel is a relic from the Second World War,” said the team boss, who was supported by technical director Pierre Waché.
Impact on Performance
The French engineer even attributed some of the issues with the RB20 to the old facility. “Some aspects related to us not delivering the performance we expected are related to correlation,” Waché noted. “We are using a fairly old wind tunnel and as a result of our first place in the championship, we have fewer hours available than our competitors.”
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko emphasizes that a modern wind tunnel should improve the situation in two years. The Austrian explains: “Our wind tunnel dates back to just after the Second World War. This naturally has disadvantages. It takes a very long time to raise the temperature in it. The tunnel is outdated and I hope that our new wind tunnel can be put into use in 2026.”
