Red Bull has experienced a steep decline, losing its once-dominant edge in Formula 1. The Milton Keynes team has endured a tough season with internal conflicts and disappointing on-track performances. As a result, the reigning champions are now in danger of losing their hold on the world title. With just six races remaining, Red Bull requires a significant turnaround, but the task seems daunting, with McLaren ahead by 41 points. The lackluster performance of the RB20 makes narrowing that gap a formidable challenge.
At the same time, McLaren’s Lando Norris is closing in on Max Verstappen. McLaren’s strategic upgrades have turned the MCL38 into the fastest car on the grid, putting Verstappen’s early-season lead at risk. Red Bull’s increasing worry about losing both championships was evident in Helmut Marko’s remarks following the Singapore Grand Prix. Moreover, Christian Horner has picked the old wind tunnel to hamper RBR’s recovery.
Red Bull’s Wrong Turn And An Outdated Win Tunnel Puts The Team On Backseat
Christian Horner recently shed light on the aging infrastructure Red Bull Racing has relied on, highlighting the challenges with their 60-year-old wind tunnel. Originally built for military use during the Cold War, this outdated facility has helped produce remarkable cars over the years but now has clear limitations. Once operated by the British Army, Red Bull’s wind tunnel becomes unstable at temperatures below five °C or above 25°C, making it unreliable for continuous development in the fast-paced world of Formula 1.
Despite its limitations, Red Bull won 21 of 22 races last year with the dominant RB19, but the success raised an important question: How could they continue to improve? The team introduced a radical new concept for the RB20, featuring a unique cooling solution near the halo and “bazookas” on the engine cover. The idea was to maintain smaller side pods for aerodynamic advantage, a concept they believed would bring significant performance gains based on wind tunnel data. However, the issues of the outdated wind tunnel struck hard. The correlation between data and real-world results was off, leading the engineers down the wrong path and into a development dead-end.
Red Bull Eyes Rivals’ Technical Advancements For Future Improvements
The more Red Bull updated the RB20, the more unstable the car became, with balance issues worsening rather than improving. Competitors like McLaren and Ferrari, who use more modern wind tunnels, could take advantage of the advanced technology, although Ferrari also struggled with some updates this season.
Heading into the critical race in Austin, much rides on Red Bull’s ability to address these balance problems. It is essential for Max Verstappen’s push to secure the drivers’ title and set the stage for their strategy going into 2025. With teams now focused on building their 2026 cars, Red Bull must make swift adjustments, as the RB21 won’t receive the same development attention as previous models.
Aston Martin offers a clear example of how important modern facilities are, having recently upgraded from using Mercedes’ wind tunnel. Red Bull’s reliance on outdated infrastructure puts the team at a disadvantage, making it crucial for them to find solutions both for the current season and future developments.