P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull missed out on the F1 constructors’ championship last season for the first time since 2021 – but there is a significant silver lining to its fall from grace.
The 2024 F1 season saw Red Bull fail to secure a third consecutive championship, falling behind McLaren and Ferrari in the standings. However, this setback has granted Red Bull an advantage in wind tunnel time allocation for both the current and subsequent seasons. With the F1 system assigning wind tunnel time based on championship position every six months, Red Bull now enjoys 120 extra hours compared to McLaren. This surplus allows Red Bull to potentially allocate more focus to the 2026 car while still developing this year’s car effectively. As F1 enters an intermediate year with significant rule changes on the horizon for 2025, Red Bull’s strategic distribution of wind tunnel time could prove crucial in maintaining or extending their performance lead.
