Although Red Bull has turned its 2026 Formula 1 season around in impressive fashion, the technical team led by Pierre Wache is still dealing with several limitations behind the scenes. One of the main ones is perhaps the wind tunnel, the oldest on the entire F1 grid. Former team principal Christian Horner repeatedly described Red Bull's wind tunnel as "a Cold War relic" and said working with the 70-year-old facility near Bedford was like looking at "two different watches".
Laurent Mekies acknowledges that the new facility should, in theory, provide the team with a competitive advantage. Mekies confirmed the new wind tunnel, located on the Milton Keynes campus, will come online sometime during next season. When asked about the specific quarter, Mekies said it will be based on how much time is needed to get it online first and then complete calibration work.
It will most likely be for the second part of the 2027 car and hopefully for most of the 2028 car. McLaren used Toyota's wind tunnel in Cologne from 2010 but has relied on its own facility since summer 2023, something clearly linked to the team's progress since then. Aston Martin also has a state-of-the-art wind tunnel on its Silverstone campus, described by Adrian Newey as the best in the business, although benefits have yet to be reflected in on-track performances.
Mekies admitted the competitive advantage will not come immediately upon switching on the new facility, but it will unlock potential and give the talented people in the aero department another way to express their ideas. When Verstappen mentioned the new wind tunnel as one of the less obvious factors giving him confidence for 2027, he clarified it would not help with the initial development of the RB23, which is already underway, but could contribute to further development throughout the season.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing