Pressure on Red Bull’s Technical Chief After Adrian Newey’s Dep….read more
Red Bull’s technical chief, Pierre Wache, is facing increased scrutiny after the team’s underwhelming start to the 2025 Formula 1 season. Despite Max Verstappen’s continued success, sitting second in the driver standings after two races, Red Bull’s performance has been less than stellar. The team’s car has shown significant struggles, with it only being the fourth-fastest on the grid so far this season. In the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen’s race was far from smooth, as he spent the majority of the race in sixth place, trailing behind both Ferrari drivers. He managed to gain positions later in the race, aided by a strategy switch from Lewis Hamilton and tire issues for Charles Leclerc, eventually finishing in fourth place.
The Red Bull team has faced noticeable challenges in car development since the latter part of 2024. Out of the last 16 races, they have only won two, a stark contrast to their earlier dominance. This decline in performance coincides with the departure of Adrian Newey, the legendary F1 designer who has been a key figure in Red Bull’s success over the years. Newey’s exit was officially announced during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix weekend, with the renowned designer moving to Aston Martin for the new season.
In the latest episode of the Sky F1 podcast, pundit Ted Kravitz directed attention to Wache, who is responsible for the design of the RB21, the car that has failed to match the pace of rivals like McLaren. Kravitz questioned whether Wache could make the necessary improvements to keep Red Bull competitive, particularly against McLaren, who have made significant strides in recent seasons. He remarked, “Let’s see if they’re really serious about winning the Constructors’ Championship because swapping drivers after two races suggests you’re only after the Drivers’ title. Clearly, if they win the Drivers’ this year, that would be a massive achievement, especially against a much-improved McLaren.”
Kravitz also pointed out that Red Bull’s current car is slower than McLaren’s, raising doubts about Wache’s ability to turn the situation around. “Adrian Newey hasn’t touched this car. Can Wache fix it? Can they fix it? We’ll have to wait and see,” Kravitz added.
The team’s struggles have been compounded by several high-profile departures in recent years. In 2023, Rob Marshall, a key engineer responsible for McLaren’s recent resurgence, left Red Bull to join McLaren. Additionally, Jonathan Wheatley, who had a long tenure at Red Bull, recently moved to Sauber as their team principal. With such personnel losses, the pressure on Wache and the leadership of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko is mounting.
Max Verstappen’s brilliance on the track has undoubtedly helped mitigate the impact of these issues, but the team’s future success may depend on how well they adapt to the changing landscape of F1. Without Verstappen’s performances, Red Bull’s situation could be much worse. Meanwhile, the team’s decision to drop Liam Lawson after only two races in 2025 has also drawn criticism, with Yuki Tsunoda set to replace him alongside Verstappen for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.
As the season progresses, Red Bull’s ability to regain their competitive edge will be closely watched, with all eyes on Pierre Wache to see if he can live up to the challenge and maintain the team’s dominance.
