Great news for the future of Red Bull. While the team is already performing on the track, with the acquisition of a fourth consecutive title for Max Verstappen, its technical director, Pierre Waché, indicated that it was ahead in its project to create a new wind tunnel . A good announcement when we know the importance of this structure for the development of Formula 1, at a time when on-track testing during the season is becoming increasingly rare. Thanks to this narrow channel, it is possible to simulate real track conditions for a single-seater, including the presence of moving air.
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The wind tunnel: an essential element in F1
With the arrival of ground effect cars in 2022, the wind tunnel has taken on an increasingly important place to the point today of being one of the main reasons for the success of a team like McLaren , which completed its new wind tunnel in 2023 and is now the best team on the board. For Red Bull, the urgency is all the greater as it has a 70-year-old factory. This “relic of the cold war” as described by Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull, was in fact used for the development of aircraft during the Second World War. In Formula 1, its facilities located in Bedford, near Milton Keynes, have been used for a long time, probably too long even according to Pierre Waché.
A modernization of mandatory structures at Red Bull
“It’s the oldest wind tunnel in F1”declared the Frenchman. “I even discussed it with Jos [Verstappen] the other day: they were already using this wind tunnel when he was at Arrows [chez qui il roulait en F1 au début des années 2000]. » Although he indicated that the team has regularly updated this installation, it remains limited in the hope of finding even more performance. “There's a lot of newer stuff in there, but we have limits. We know them and we try to work around them, but it clearly becomes more difficult when you're looking for a little extra performance. This is why we are investing in the new wind tunnel. We think it can give us advantages that we don't have with the current model. »
A necessary modernization compared to the means deployed by other teams. McLaren, which used Toyota's old wind tunnel in Cologne between 2010 and 2023, last year completed the construction of its new wind tunnel. Aston Martin also made the same decision for its Silverstone factory. In this fight for development, the Austrian team has just received very good news: it is three months ahead of its initial schedule.
Red Bull ahead of its construction project
“With the construction work and then all the new machinery, you never know exactly when it will happen, but we are currently ahead of schedule”declared Pierre Waché to Autosport. “We are three months ahead of schedule. The teams do a great job, but you never know if delays may occur elsewhere. This is a major project. »
Initially planned to help the development of the 2027 car, Red Bull's new modern wind tunnel could finally see the light of day as early as 2026. A boon for a team which is preparing to face significant changes in the coming years.
