Red Bull’s wind tunnel boost contrasts Alpine’s financial gain, highlighting the trade-off between funding and crucial aerodynamic testing time.
By finishing 6th in the Constructors’ Championship, Alpine F1 secured a financial gain… but perhaps at the cost of technical development.
The Constructors’ Championship standings, determined in Abu Dhabi, also set the limits for development time, both in the wind tunnel and CFD, for the period from January 1 to June 30, 2025.
As a reminder, the ATR mechanism (Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions), outlined in Appendix 7 of the F1 Sporting Regulations, was introduced in 2021 as a handicap system to ensure a more competitive field. It is reset every six months.
The aim is to promote greater fairness on the grid while gradually narrowing performance gaps. This year, its impact was evident with Red Bull..
The team finishing first in the championship (McLaren F1) is allocated just 70% of wind tunnel and CFD time.
The 2nd place team (Ferrari) will have 75% of the allocation, the 3rd (Red Bull) 80%, and so on.
The 100% baseline is defined by the 7th-place team, Haas F1.
The 10th-place team, finishing last, will receive 115% of the allocation—a promising development for Sauber/Audi as they prepare for 2026.
A Decisive Allocation for 2026
The allocation from January to June 2025 will carry even greater significance than usual, as 2025 will be the year when the cars for the upcoming 2026 regulations are developed.
By dropping from 1st to 3rd in the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull may have secured an unexpected advantage, gaining 10% more wind tunnel time than McLaren F1 and 5% more than Ferrari. This downgrade allows for 256 wind tunnel runs instead of 224 and an increase in aerodynamic testing hours from 56 to 64. This will be especially valuable as the team also works on developing the new Red Bull Powertrains engine.
“This is a tricky situation because we’re facing the biggest regulatory change in the sport’s history, probably in 50 or 60 years. Bearing that in mind, we hate finishing third in the championship, but the additional wind tunnel time is, arguably, the only silver lining in a year with such a drastic regulatory shift,” commented Christian Horner after the final Grand Prix of the season.
Conversely, McLaren F1, having excelled in in-season development, will need to maximize its efficiency even further, as it faces the least wind tunnel time on the grid.
Alpine Gains $30 Million but Loses 15% Wind Tunnel Time
Alpine F1, leaping from 9th to 6th in the Constructors’ Championship in just a few races, secured $30 million in additional funding but at the cost of losing 15% of its development time, including vital wind tunnel sessions.
This comes at a time when the team will need to quickly build a chassis compatible with the Mercedes F1 power unit.
Aerodynamic Development Allocation (January 1 – June 30, 2025)
| Team | Wind Tunnel & CFD Time Allocation (%) |
|---|---|
| McLaren | 70% |
| Ferrari | 75% |
| Red Bull | 80% |
| Mercedes | 85% |
| Aston Martin | 90% |
| Alpine | 95% |
| Haas | 100% |
| Racing Bulls | 105% |
| Williams | 110% |
| Sauber | 115% |
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Alpine’s $30M Win Comes at the Cost of Development Time Alpine’s $30M Win Comes at the Cost of Development Time
