Max Verstappen considers the wind tunnel currently used by Red Bull to be one of the factors limiting the development of the team’s cars. The 1946 facility will be replaced by a more modern structure, scheduled to enter operation at the beginning of the 2027 Formula 1 season.
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“We hope that the correlation in the wind tunnel, with a new and more modern type of tunnel that you build, will make everything a little easier to understand with the car,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “Instead of a wind tunnel that comes from World War II,” he laughed. “So, of course, you hope that, as a team, you can also take a step forward in this area.”
The four-time world champion emphasized that the age of the facility represents a significant problem for Red Bull. “That is certainly one of the major fundamental problems with the wind tunnel,” he continued. When asked if the old equipment could limit the development of the 2026 and 2027 cars, he replied: “Absolutely.”
Until the new structure is ready, the team will have to work with the current tools while rivals continue bringing updates to the tracks. Red Bull has also indicated that it intends to start developing the 2027 car earlier, which may mean some deficiencies of the RB22 remain unresolved this year.
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In Zandvoort, the problems reappeared. “We were simply too slow. We couldn’t find the right grip on the car,” Verstappen said. Despite this, he identified some progress over the weekend: “We saw, I think, some improvement from the first free practice to qualifying. But of course, it’s not where we want to be.”
The pressure increases because competitors continue to evolve. “Of course, there are other teams around us that have brought some updates. And if they work, naturally you take another step forward. That makes it even harder to compete,” concluded the Dutchman, who renewed his contract with the team until 2030.
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