Pierre Wache, Technical Director of Red Bull, admitted to being concerned about the remaining 10 races of the 2024 season. He issued a concerning statement about the team’s prospects, and couldn’t point out the strengths when asked.
Red Bull was strong on several fronts in 2023. This allowed them to dominate races and win the Championship comfortably. However, things have been different this year. Speaking to Motorsport Netherlands, Wache said,
“I don’t know if we still have a strong point. I think we have improved a lot in the medium-speed and slow corners compared to last year. We are now – relatively speaking compared to the competition – a bit less good in fast corners than last year.”
Wache’s comments would be a huge concern for Red Bull, who witnessed their grasp on the Constructors’ Championship slip away, race by race, in recent times. After the Belgian GP, their lead over McLaren was cut down to just 42 points.
Motorsport Nederlands – Asked about the RB20’s strengths and weaknesses, Pierre Waché says: “I don’t know if we still have a strong point!”
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Red Bull’s technical slump has frustrated Max Verstappen and the entire Austrian stable. On top of that, Sergio Perez‘s underperformances have added to the misery.
Red Bull could lose Constructors’ for the first time since 2021
Perez has been so far behind Verstappen, that the latter has effectively been carrying Red Bull single-handedly in its Title defense.
In 2023, that worked because Red Bull had the strongest car, but this year, McLaren and Mercedes are just as fast (if not faster) than the Milton-Keynes-based team.
Among the top four teams, the only driver who has not won a race this year is Perez. And the 34-year-old’s concerning form is also reflected in the points tally in the Drivers’ Championship.
While Verstappen leads the championship standings with 277 points and is 78 points clear of second-placed Lando Norris, Perez has only 131 points. As a result of the same, the Mexican is currently seventh in the standings. Moreover, he continues to fall in the standings, having only managed 28 points in the last eight races.