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Red Bull’s Third-Place Sting Turns into Golden Opportunity with Extra Aero Power for 2025

Miguel Cunha by Miguel Cunha
December 10, 2024
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
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Red Bull’s Third-Place Sting Turns into Golden Opportunity with Extra Aero Power for 2025

Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 7, 2024 Red Bull's Sergio Perez during qualifying REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

Red Bull’s unexpected slide to third place in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship has brought an unexpected advantage: more aerodynamic testing resources for the first half of 2025 under Formula 1’s Aerodynamic Testing Regulations (ATR).

What is ATR and Why It Matters?

The ATR system, introduced in 2021, aims to balance the competitive field by allocating more windtunnel and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) testing time to teams that finish lower in the championship standings. It’s designed to help less competitive teams catch up while gently penalizing dominant teams.

In each six-month ATR period, teams receive a base allowance of:

  • 320 windtunnel runs
  • 2000 CFD items

Teams’ allowances are adjusted by 5% increments depending on their position in the constructors’ standings, with seventh place receiving the full baseline amount.

For the first half of 2025, Red Bull will benefit from 80% of the baseline allocation, up from 70% in 2024, as a result of finishing third instead of first.


Red Bull’s Increased Allowance

Red Bull’s testing allowance changes from:

  • 224 to 256 windtunnel runs
  • 1400 to 1600 CFD items

This gives Red Bull an additional 96 windtunnel runs and 600 CFD items in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, highlighted this unexpected silver lining:

“We hate finishing third in the championship, but the additional windtunnel time that comes with that is the only upside in a year where there is such a dramatic regulatory change [in 2026]. It’s a constant balancing act and if you are in the title battle, inevitably your development gets dragged into the season longer.”


ATR Winners and Losers for 2025

  • McLaren, the 2024 Constructors’ Champions, drops to 70% of the allowance for 2025 (down from 95%), reflecting its newfound dominance.
  • Ferrari, as runner-up, maintains its 75% allocation.
  • Alpine, rising from eighth to sixth, decreases its allocation from 105% to 95%.

Strategic Implications

While ATR adjustments are not significant enough for teams to deliberately finish lower in the standings, they offer key advantages in development efficiency. Red Bull’s additional resources come at a critical time as it looks to regroup for 2025 while also preparing for the major regulation changes in 2026.


2026: A New Horizon

The 2026 regulations, which involve radically redesigned cars, will open for aerodynamic testing in January 2025. Teams like Ferrari and Red Bull are carefully balancing resources between 2025 car development and the long-term 2026 project.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur explained:

“By early 2025, we will fully shift focus to 2026. While the car for 2025 will still see development, it will be clear that our resources will pivot significantly toward the new regulations.”


No Strategic Tanking

Despite the benefits of extra testing time, no team would deliberately compromise its championship finish due to the massive prize money at stake. Each position in the standings represents a $10 million difference, far outweighing the modest gains in aerodynamic testing resources.


The Upshot

Red Bull’s extra testing time for 2025 gives the team a slight edge as it seeks to rebound from its uncharacteristic third-place finish. While it won’t fully compensate for the performance gap to McLaren and Ferrari in 2024, it ensures Red Bull has more tools to close the gap in what promises to be a fiercely contested season—and prepares them for a smoother transition to the 2026 regulations.

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