Red Bull’s new wind tunnel will come online in 2027, Mekies says

Red Bull’s new wind tunnel in Milton Keynes will not come online until some point during the 2027 season, team principal Laurent Mekies said ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. He did not identify a quarter: the schedule depends on how long it takes to bring the facility online and complete calibration.

The facility was originally meant to be ready for the 2026 season and will replace Red Bull’s current tunnel in Bedford. Mekies said the Bedford tunnel was likely the oldest on the grid, but credited it with producing extraordinary results in recent years. Red Bull won four consecutive drivers’ titles with Max Verstappen from 2021 to 2024 using that facility.

Mekies expects the new tunnel to contribute most likely to the second half of the 2027 car’s development. He expects the state-of-the-art facility to offer a competitive advantage, but said that benefit will not arrive as soon as the tunnel is switched on. He also expects it to unlock potential and give Red Bull’s aero department another way to develop ideas. Mekies hopes it will support most of the 2028 car’s development.