Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that the team is building a new, state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility at their campus in Milton Keynes.
After such an incredible year, Red Bull will seek to carry the momentum forward heading into 2024. However, due to stable rules, they have fewer gains to make compared to their rivals as they are further forward in their development.
They are also at a disadvantage with the amount of wind tunnel and CFD (computational fluid dynamics simulation) runs they are allowed because of their immense success – hence why they focused their attention on the RB20 so early last year.
Red Bull have long been trailing their rivals in the wind tunnel stakes and have had to be selective in where they channel their development – making their success with the RB19 even more impressive.
With Aston Martin and McLaren investing in new state-of-the-art facilities, Red Bull have revealed that they are commissioning their own at their campus in Milton Keynes, replacing their facility in Bedford.
Construction is due to begin this year and will be ready by 2026, with their 2027 car - the second to run with their own power unit in conjunction with Ford - set to be the first to run in it.
Speaking with the media, Horner lauded the progress made at the campus, which proves the team’s long-term future in the sport.
“The commitment to the campus in the UK is extraordinary,” he said.
“To have a state-of-the-art wind tunnel, something that we debated over the last 19 years, and see where we are at with [Red Bull] Powertrains, to have within a three-year period recruited close to 500 people and built a state-of-the-art facility with our own manufacturing ability – it’s a massive commitment by the shareholders, and it demonstrates their commitment to the longevity, but it also demonstrates that Formula 1 is delivering.”