Verstappen hopes Red Bull’s new wind tunnel can aid 2027 development

Max Verstappen says Red Bull’s progress in 2026 gives him reason for confidence about 2027. In the Singapore paddock, he said the team had resolved problems with certain car parts and that every upgrade introduced so far in 2026 had worked. He also hopes a new wind tunnel will help with further development.

The facility will come too late to shape the initial development of Red Bull’s 2027 car, which is already under way, but it could support further development during the season. Verstappen said Red Bull hopes the tunnel will work properly and help the team. Pierre Waché previously told Autosport that the tunnel should be operational early in 2027, possibly in February. Its precise timing within the first quarter depends on calibration, which must give Red Bull confidence in the facility.

Red Bull’s current wind tunnel is the oldest on the F1 grid. Former team principal Christian Horner had pointed to repeated failures to match its wind-tunnel results with performance on track. Correlation proved accurate in 2026, however; Verstappen suggested the new regulations and the cars’ dimensions may help explain why.

Verstappen said the development direction for 2027 remains difficult to judge while new parts exist only on drawings. He has also said that certain limitations of the 2026 car cannot be eliminated, so the 2027 car will require more fundamental changes.