RB (or VCARB, formerly AlphaTauri) announced this Friday (23) that it will close its facility in Bicester, United Kingdom, after thirteen years of operation. The team has chosen to relocate to new state-of-the-art headquarters in Milton Keynes, aiming to modernise, attract talent and achieve greater integration with Red Bull Racing.
“We weren't satisfied with what we had at Bicester today,” said team boss Laurent Mackies. “The facility is small and outdated and does not provide the best conditions for our employees.”
The closure will mainly affect the aerodynamics department, concept wing and a few other areas. However, RB is already building a new headquarters in Milton Keynes, which will serve as a center of excellence similar to the one in Faenza, Italy.
The main objective of this change is to attract local talent. “We're looking to hire race engineers, simulation engineers or aerodynamicists who want to stay in the UK,” McKees said. “Traditionally, splitting a sector into two places has been a challenge in Formula 1, but we believe the world has changed and we can turn this into an advantage.”
RB hopes the new headquarters in Milton Keynes will act as a bridge between the team and the talent pool in England, attracting professionals who may not have previously considered moving to Italy. The team also believes that proximity to Red Bull Racing will bring technical and strategic benefits.
Mekies concluded by acknowledging Bicester's thirteen-year history, but highlighted the need for change for the team's future. “We want to use the strength of having a base in the United Kingdom and Italy to turn this into a competitive advantage,” he concluded.
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