No more wind tunnel for Red Bull in 2025, a boon to solve the “difficult equation” of 2026

While he claims not to have enjoyed finishing third in the Constructors' Championship in 2024, Christian Horner admits the extra wind tunnel time will be essential for Red Bull ahead of the new technical regulations for 2026.

Published 18/01/2025 à 17:07

Dorian Grangier

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No more wind tunnel for Red Bull in 2025, a boon to solve the “difficult equation” of 2026

© Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

A few days ago, at the beginning of January, we wondered if the loss of the title and the third place won by Red Bull at the Builders Championship in 2024 was ultimately not a godsend for the Austrian teamIndeed, if we exclude the financial losses linked to the demotion of the Milton Keynes team, crowned in 2023, Red Bull could well find its account for the 2026 season thanks to... the wind tunnel time allocated in 2025.

Thanks to its third place in 2024, Red Bull is granted more time in the wind tunnel and in CFD (computational fluid dynamics simulation) than McLaren et Ferrari, as established in the sporting regulations of the discipline. And with a view to 2026 and the introduction of the new technical regulations, time will be very, very valuable in 2025!

Over the period 1 January – 30 June 2025, Red Bull will therefore be able to benefit from 960 hours in the wind tunnel, with 768 wind tunnel runs, and 4800 CFD tests. For comparison, McLaren will only have 820 hours and 672 wind tunnel runs, as well as 4200 CFD tests. A great advantage to begin the aerodynamic development of the F1 2026, authorized since January 1st. This is the first time that Red Bull has benefited from so much time in the wind tunnel since the introduction of the new generation of single-seaters, since the Austrian team had never finished beyond the Top 2 in the Constructors' Championship since 2019.

A (unintentional?) blessing that comes at just the right time. "It's a difficult equation because we have the biggest regulatory change in probably 50 or 60 years in the history of the sport, Red Bull CEO Christian Horner points out, admitting that his team will have a big advantage at the start of 2025 for the development of its 1 F2026 car.. With that in mind, we hate to finish third in the championship, but the extra time in the wind tunnel that comes with it is, if you will, the only positive in a year where there is such a radical change in regulations.

10% less wind tunnel, a loss of half a second per lap

Of the ten teams on the grid, Red Bull is perhaps the one that knows best that wind tunnel time is precious. Champion in 2022 and 2023, leading the Constructors' standings at the halfway point of the 2024 season, the Austrian team has always been the most handicapped in terms of wind tunnel time allocation… and in 2023, the Milton Keynes outfit even suffered a 10% penalty on its allocation after being found guilty of exceeding budget ceiling in 2021. A heavy penalty according to Christian Horner. "It's difficult to give a figure on the lap time, but we can assume that there was between a quarter of a second and a half a second [lost]," The British leader believes in the consequences of this sanction.

However, even though Red Bull starts with a 120-hour lead over McLaren and a 60-hour lead over Ferrari, Christian Horner points out that the situation could quickly change if his team finds itself in the race for the title in 2025. If this fight continues, the Austrian team may have to – as in 2021, when Max Verstappen was opposed to Lewis Hamilton – continue to develop its machine longer than expected.

"It's a constant balancing act. And if you're in a tight race, your development is inevitably extended over the course of the season, which is particularly difficult, says Red Bull Team Principal. We saw it between 2021 and 2022, with a significant change in the regulations and the concept [of the car]. Obviously the earlier you start [developing F1 2026], the bigger the advantage. But if the championship is tight and it goes down to the wire, it will be difficult for the different teams to choose how to allocate their resources.

ALSO READ > What if Red Bull's "bad" end to the 2024 season was a blessing... for 2026?

Dorian Grangier

A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.

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1 Comment (s)

Yves-Henri RANDIER

18/01/2025 at 05:22 a.m.

While some may have missed their 2024 bonus with a third place in the Constructors' Championship, they can thank TexMex's poor 2024 performances which will allow them to fully use the 2025 wind tunnel hours for the benefit of the 2026 single-seater!! Did Red Bull management deliberately put TexMex in big trouble in 2024 in order to get rid of him before promoting a young driver from his sector while benefiting from a "wind tunnel bonus" for 2026? Certainly "Brille A Tort" would have thought about it if he had been in the place of his comrade Horner

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