Christian Horner explains how Racing Bulls avoid the aero struggles that are slowing Red Bull’s RB21 development this season.
As Red Bull pushes the limits of its RB21, challenges are mounting due to a growing mismatch between the team’s wind tunnel data and real-world performance, team principal Christian Horner has revealed. He admits the gap is making it harder to find performance gains in the development process.
“First of all, the wind tunnel pointed us in a direction that doesn’t match what we’re seeing on track, which leaves you trying to juggle between what your tools are telling you and the actual track data,” Horner explained. “We understand the issue, now it’s about putting the right solution into action.”
The Red Bull boss outlined that the key problem lies in aerodynamics, where even the smallest gains are becoming difficult to achieve. With the current regulations reaching their maturity, he says the team is starting to feel the limitations of its existing wind tunnel.
“When you’re working at the edges of a regulation set like this, the tunnel has its limits. That’s why we’re investing in a new one. Right now, per run, you can have a data spread of about three points,” Horner said.
“And when you’re chasing improvements of just one or one and a half points, it falls within the noise level of the tunnel readings. It definitely complicates things, but we have brilliant engineers, aerodynamicists and mechanical designers. I am confident we’ll find a way forward.”
Horner also confirmed that Racing Bulls uses the same wind tunnel as Red Bull Racing. When asked why the Faenza-based team isn’t facing the same issues, his answer was straightforward: “It’s because they’re not fighting for pole position.”
However, he did acknowledge that the VCARB 02 currently feels more stable than the RB21. “Their car has a good balance, which gives their drivers confidence over one lap. It also has a predictable level of understeer. But you can see during longer runs that they lose performance.”
Horner added that Racing Bulls shares much of Red Bull’s technical package, including suspension, gearbox and power unit, all allowed under current regulations. Still, he stressed that lacking perfect balance costs valuable time on the track.
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Horner Reveals Why Racing Bulls Struggle Less Than Red Bull Horner Reveals Why Racing Bulls Struggle Less Than Red Bull