Red Bull hampered by ‘aged system’ compared to McLaren when testing RB20 parts

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Red Bull is facing an uphill struggle as they attempt to rectify their car problems and get their Formula 1 title defence back on track.

The team has been battled with issues that have plagued the RB20 since they introduced upgrades this year, with Max Verstappen remarking that they turned the car into a ‘monster’ during the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

Verstappen finished the race 37 seconds off eventual race winner Charles Leclerc and was over half a second off the pole lap set by Lando Norris.

Red Bull was left scratching their heads over the gap on Saturday at Monza, with team principal Christian Horner believing they are now the fourth quickest car behind Ferrari and Mercedes.

Helmut Marko expects things to pick up for Red Bull at the next few races, but according to a report by AMuS, it could be more difficult for the team to get themselves out of their problems due to a key factor compared to McLaren.

Red Bull wind tunnel an ‘aged system’ compared to McLaren

McLaren only recently moved into a new wind tunnel facility towards the end of 2023, which had been in the works since 2019. Delays due to COVID set them back originally, but it is now a major part of delivering upgrades to their car.

Prior to their onsite wind tunnel, McLaren used to test their parts using the Toyota facility in Cologne, Germany. This created delays in getting the parts back to the factory and onto the car ready for race weekends, and often left McLaren on the back foot.

READ MORE: Three reasons why Red Bull face difficult task fixing RB20’s issues without Adrian Newey

According to the report, Red Bull is still testing an ageing facility at their Milton Keynes factory which “reaches its limits with detail changes” on the car.

Technical director Pierre Wache previously identified their old wind tunnel facility as a potential reason why their recent upgrades to the RB20 are not providing the performance they need.

On top of this, Red Bull has also seen several staff from their technical office leave: Aerodynamics manager Dan Fallows to Aston Martin, chief designer Rob Marshall to McLaren, Michael Broadhurst to Alpine, Steve Winstanley to Williams and Guillaume Cattelani to Toro Rosso.

Red Bull suffering from wind tunnel handicap

F1’s restrictions on aerodynamic testing brought in during the 2021 season have effectively created another handicap for successful teams.

Despite being reset every six months, with allowances between January and June based on the previous year’s Constructors’ Championship order, it is adjusted to the current year from June 30th.

READ MORE: How Red Bull and McLaren have lost out over the summer break thanks to F1 rule handicap

Red Bull led at the halfway point from McLaren meaning they have lost a significant amount of wind tunnel time and simulation testing compared to their rivals.

This gives them less opportunity to test and verify upgrades to their car, while also being constrained by the cost cap. This is why Red Bull decided not to bring a Monza-specific wing to their car for the Italian GP.