Mekies expects Red Bull’s new wind tunnel to come online in 2027

Red Bull’s new wind tunnel was not yet ready when Laurent Mekies spoke at Friday’s 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix press conference. He expects it to come online sometime in 2027. Mekies said it was most likely to contribute to development of the second part of the 2027 car and hoped the facility would also play a part in most of the 2028 car.

Mekies did not specify which quarter it would be ready. The schedule, he said, depends on the time needed to bring the tunnel online and complete calibration.

He expects the new facility to unlock potential for Red Bull’s aerodynamics department, but said it would not make an immediate difference simply by being switched on. Mekies said the current tunnel has delivered strong results in recent years and is probably the oldest on the grid.