Red Bull have won the constructor title back to back. And talking about the race wins, last season, they won 17 races, but this year, they might win more. They’ve won 17 already in 2023, with four more races to go. Moreover, there are chances that the Milton-Keynes-based team can even win all the races that are remaining as of now. Apparently, the main credit goes to the driver for the immense success of the team in recent times. If it was not for Max Verstappen, the Austrian team might not had so much success. He won 15 of the 17 races they won last year as well as this season. That’s how dominating Verstappen has been in recent times.
But the due credit Max should give to Adrian Newey and the engine partners, Honda. Undoubtedly, the car has proved to be the best of all in recent times. Many believe RB19 is the fastest car there has ever been in F1’s history. That’s how good the car has been. However, the car has its share of setbacks in terms of the wind tunnel. The Austrian team is planning to build their new wind tunnel. But, Red Bull does not expect the new plans to have any impact on their 2026 campaign. That year, F1 will introduce new rules.
Red Bull Plans To Build A New Wind Tunnel
Recently, an F1 broadcaster and analyst, Sam Collins, revealed that the Austrian team canceled their permit application. He feels that it is a setback for the team. But as per Motorsport.com, the Milton Keynes team has found a new place for building their new wind tunnel. The original plan for Christian Horner’s team was to build the tunnel on their campus. But later, they started developing the Red Bull Powertrains for becoming the new in-house engines since the 2026 season. The Austrian team needs more space for the factory. Hence, they changed their choice of venue for building the new wind tunnel.
As per the reports, Red Bull must apply for a new license shortly. Although later, Christian Horner mentioned the shareholders, along with the F1 team, are investing in a new wind tunnel project. The aim is to build a real technology campus to bring a lot of talent and nurture them. Anyhow, Erik Van Haren, a well-renowned Dutch journalist, mentioned that Red Bull insiders said the decision wouldn’t have any influence on costs and planning.
The Current Wind Tunnel Dates Back To The 2nd World War
Seemingly, Red Bull has been using the same wind tunnel since its inception. The Jaguar team, from which the Red Bull team emerged, used to work in the current wind tunnel. Later, the Jaguar team bid farewell to F1, and Red Bull emerged in 2004. But the wind tunnel facility belonged to the former F1 team, Arrows.
Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, used to race for the Arrows team, among other racers. The formation of the same wind tunnel facility dates back to the Second World War. Dietrich Mateschitz built the wind tunnel a year before he passed away. That’s how old the wind tunnel has been. Moreover, the current wind tunnel is becoming obsolete soon.
