F1: Mateschitz approved new Red Bull F1 wind tunnel before death

Red Bull Racing is moving ahead with a new wind tunnel in Milton Keynes. It is said to have been a last wish of Dietrich Mateschitz and, according to Christian Horner, Red Bull is also more or less forced by the limited time in a wind tunnel.

Red Bull has never invested in a wind tunnel since it commissioned the old Arrows wind tunnel after acquiring Jaguar in 2004. That wind tunnel is a former aircraft design facility first commissioned in 1946 by RAE Bedford. Horner refers to this wind tunnel as a Cold War heritage.

According to The Race Red Bull has now decided to build a new wind tunnel. Horner revealed to the outlet that this was a wish of Mateschitz. When the new wind tunnel can be commissioned and the state of the project is still unknown.

It had been reported earlier this year that Red Bull was planning a new wind tunnel that would take two years to build and be part of its technology campus in Milton Keynes, bringing together all facets of the car and engine design and production in one location.

Although it is unclear what stage the project is at, Horner has told The Race it will happen.

“It was one of the commitments that Dietrich made to the business, to invest in a new tunnel,” he said in reference to Red Bull co-founder Mateschitz, who died in October.

“Once the tunnel regulations were introduced, then the efficiency of our tunnel just wasn’t comparable with where the regulations are going,” said Horner.

“It forced our hand that we needed to make that big capital investment.

“So, that’s what we’ve chosen to do.”

Adrian Newey thinks Wind Tunnels should be outlawed, but the teams voted to keep them.

Horner said: “When you look at the way the world’s going, simulation is playing a bigger and bigger role.

“We should have been brave enough to look at walking away from tunnels in the future.

“But unfortunately, there was a fear-based culture, rather than an embracing one.”