McLaren F1 Team Principal Andrea Stella recently shared his perspective on the team’s competitive relationship with rival Red Bull Racing. He believes that their newly acquired wind tunnel facility will be instrumental in narrowing the gap to the Red Bull F1 Team.
“The main benefit is that we have an in-house wind tunnel. Previously, we had to test in Germany, which was a massive logistical challenge. You have to prepare parts and then transport them to Germany, so there are significant delays. In F1, things change very quickly, especially in design. Now we can shorten those cycles, which is crucial for developing a faster car.”
He also mentioned that the new wind tunnel will bring significant cost savings for the team financially. “Additionally, from a financial standpoint, we used to rent a wind tunnel, but now we own one. We’re saving money there, which we can reinvest in our workforce – engineers, mechanics, technicians – and components for the car. Honestly, the upgrades we saw in Austria and Singapore were developed in the German wind tunnel. So, having our own facility is a step forward, mostly from a practical and economic standpoint.”