Red Bull team principal Christian Horner opened up on the “limitations” of their windtunnel in these deep waters of the current F1 regulations.

And when Red Bull’s use of the facility was compared to that of sister team VCARB, he quickly pointed to the timesheets.

Christian Horner on VCARB: ‘Not on pole, are they?’

While Red Bull’s reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen has taken a grand prix win in F1 2025 at Suzuka, it is McLaren which has come out the blocks with the strongest car, with balance issues to address in the RB21.

And Horner has already pointed to Red Bull’s windtunnel as a key issue on that front.

“Primarily the wind tunnel has driven us in a direction that isn’t replicating what we’re on track and so, then you end up with a mishmash between what your tools are telling you and what the track data is and so obviously now as we’re accumulating track data, it’s the track data that’s driving the solutions,” Horner told the media, including PlanetF1.com.

“I think it’s clear we understand what the problem is, it’s implementing the solution. It’s the entry phase into the mid-corner that needs addressing and giving him [Verstappen] the ability and grip and confidence that takes carry speed into entry of corners, now that’s fundamentally an aero issue that we need to be able to give him that grip.

“The problem that we have is that we’re at the end of a set of regulations where the gains are very, very marginal and I think we’re seeing some of the shortcomings in our current tunnel.”

And speaking to Sky F1 on Friday, Horner went into further details on the Red Bull windtunnel, having been asked how much of an impact it is really having on their RB21.

Red Bull is currently constructing a new windtunnel which will allow them to move out of their ageing facility near Bedford.

“I think particularly when you get to the finer elements of a set of regulations like this, you know, the windtunnel that we have, it’s a relic of the Cold War, so it has its limitations, which is why we’ve invested in a new tunnel, which is in the process of being constructed,” said Horner.

“But with a set of regulations like this, you have a scatter of, you know, three points a run, pretty much. And when you’re looking for a point, a point and a half, you know, that’s in the scatter of the read that you get from the tunnel.

“So, yeah, it doesn’t help, but we’ve got some very bright engineers and aerodynamicists and mechanical designers. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

Asked if this is not the same windtunnel used by the sister VCARB team, Horner confirmed: “Yes, it is.”

At that point, to a follow-up of ‘and they haven’t experienced the same issues?’, Horner responded: “Well, I think they have, because they’re not on pole position, are they?”

VCARB began the F1 2025 campaign as a major threat within the top 10, particularly over one lap.

And when it was put to him that VCARB have become much more competitive going into the Saudi GP race weekend, Horner interrupted to add: “I think they’ve got a balance in their car, which has given their drivers confidence over a lap. And the car has a predictable amount of understeer in it.

“But the car, you see it on the long runs, it fades.

“Obviously, they use the same tunnel, the same tools. They use our suspension. They use our gearbox and drivetrain, which is permitted within the rules, but it just shows that if you’re missing a balance, then that is valuable track time.”

The honour of pole position went to Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, an event which he has won twice.

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