Red Bull’s 2026 campaign has stumbled on chassis performance despite a strong power unit. After a modest upgrade at Suzuka failed to impress Max Verstappen, the team admitted its development is hampered by reliance on the sport’s oldest wind tunnel. Technical Director Pierre Wache said the current facility near Bedford still limits correlation between simulations and on‑track results.

Construction of a replacement tunnel on Red Bull’s Milton Keynes campus is reportedly three months ahead of schedule, but Wache cautioned it will not be operational this season. He expects the new wind tunnel to run from early 2027, giving the team a modern tool to refine aero packages such as the Miami ‘Macarena’ wing and revised sidepods that already showed promise.

Until the facility is live, Red Bull must continue developing the RB22 and early‑stage 2027 chassis within the aging tunnel, limiting progress on weight targets and aerodynamic efficiency. The modest upgrade delivered in Montreal will be the last minor step before the European swing, where the team hopes to finally hit the minimum weight floor at the Austrian Grand Prix. Red Bull remains reliant on legacy hardware for now.