Red Bull’s internal turmoil had seemed to cool off but Adrian Newey’s exit has shown that things are not alright behind closed doors. However, for the Austrian outfit, Newey’s loss is a huge vacuum to fill, given the Briton has been the backbone of their technical side for 19 years. Still, the way their current technical director, Pierre Wache has done well under Newey, they would want to retain him as their next pillar to hold the fort.
Red Bull have continued to dominate F1 for the third year running. However, in 2024, teams like Ferrari and McLaren have caught up with them to some extent. So, going into 2025 and the new 2026 regulations cycle, they desperately need talents like Wache to continue being a top team.
Now, after Newey’s exit, McLaren’s Zak Brown has commented on how many CVs are flowing, hinting how there may be a lot of attrition from Red Bull. There were also reports of Ferrari approaching Wache before Newey made his Red Bull exit official.
Though, the Milton Keynes outfit have reportedly elevated his status in the team by giving another contract renewal. This contract ties him to the team till the end of 2028, as per RacingNews365. So, the French engineer is presumably not going to leave now, especially after the team’s CTO has put in his papers.
It often happens in F1, that after a mastermind like Newey decides to leave a team, many of his subordinates may also want to follow suit. So, for Christian Horner, Wache is the key to avoiding a mass exodus from their technical team that may leave them vulnerable for the 2026 regulations change.
Can Pierre Wache keep Red Bull afloat as F1’s dominant force?
Earlier this year, reports came out that Pierre Wache and his team are the real mastermind behind the all-conquering RB19. While Adrian Newey has assumed the higher role as the CTO, many believe he still has a significant influence in the car’s design.
However, these reports suggested that the Milton Keynes outfit had asked him to not be as involved in the F1 car’s design. Newey also has been working on the RB17 HyperCar project. Now, after his exit was confirmed, Red Bull mentioned that the Briton would be fully focused on completing the RB17 project before leaving in Q1 of 2025.
It doesn’t make sense that Red Bull would not want to maximize the British genius’s inputs on their 2025 car. However, there are two strategic reasons why they would want Wache and Co. to take full charge with Newey taking a back seat.
Firstly, the transition from Newey to Wache being the technical mastermind is crucial for Red Bull in the long term. So, for the remaining 11 months or so, the 65-year-old may focus more on that knowledge transfer to set up Wache’s technical team in good stead.
Besides, with Newey also possibly joining some other team in 2025, Red Bull may not want him to have insider information on their development philosophy for 2025-26. However, given that the Briton has been the founding father of the team’s aero philosophy, it is highly unlikely that Red Bull can keep any insights hidden from him.
Nonetheless, the 2026 regulations change will bring a crucial reset in F1. So, the Milton Keynes outfit cannot fumble with their 2026 car and engine [given they are manufacturing their own engine]. Time will tell how much can Wache help to retain their advantage and if Red Bull falls back or not.
