Red Bull reveal positive wind tunnel update

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has revealed that the team's new wind tunnel is "three months" ahead of schedule. 

The Milton Keynes-based team are in the process of building a new wind tunnel at its campus, having been using a facility near Bedford over 70 years old. 

Updates to the facility have been introduced over the years; however, it is an area where the team was behind its rivals. 

McLaren's new wind tunnel went live in mid-2023, whilst Aston Martin also have a new one at its Silverstone base. 

To Red Bull's delight, work is ahead of schedule, although Wache has urged for caution.

"With the building work and afterwards all the new machines you never know when it's coming, but we are ahead of the schedule at the moment," Wache told Motorsport.com.

"We are three months ahead of the plans. The guys are doing a very good job, but you never know if you get any delays somewhere else. It is a big project."

The general expectation is that Red Bull will properly benefit from its new wind tunnel in 2027, the second season of the new power unit regulations. 

Wache is expecting it to go live somewhere in 2026, meaning it could support the team towards the end of that campaign.

"Or maybe already help us later in the year [2026]," added Wache.

"It is the oldest wind tunnel in the sport. I even discussed it with Jos [Verstappen] the other day, that they already used this tunnel when he was there at Arrows.

"It is an old tool that we updated. There is plenty of newer stuff inside, but we have some limitations. We know those limitations and we try to work around them, but that is clearly more difficult when you are looking for a small delta.

"It is why we invest in the new tunnel. We think we can have a benefit from the new one that we don't have with the current model."