Apr.8 (GMM) Pressure is mounting on Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache amid growing speculation he could become the first major casualty of the team’s disastrous start to 2026.
After Adrian Newey’s departure, Wache was left in the spotlight with one of the most demanding technical roles in Formula 1 – but early signs suggest the new era is not going smoothly.
“For me, the shoes are too big for him,” Ralf Schumacher said on Sky Deutschland.
However, despite the sacking rumours, the German does not see outright dismissal as the immediate solution.
“I wouldn’t say that he should be completely replaced from the team. I think they need to look at bringing in someone. Good people, either experienced or young people.”
Red Bull’s struggles appear to be rooted primarily in the chassis rather than the new in-house engine developed with Ford.
According to multiple reports, the car is more than a second off the pace – with roughly eight-tenths attributed to chassis deficiencies and only a small portion to the power unit.
The RB22 is also reportedly overweight and plagued by severe balance issues, swinging unpredictably between understeer and oversteer.
“The car was virtually undrivable,” Max Verstappen said after Suzuka.
New upgrades introduced in Japan – including revised underbody and sidepods – failed to improve performance, underlining the scale of the problem.
“There are several problems we still need to sort out. You don’t really want to go through a phase like this,” admitted team boss Laurent Mekies.
“I don’t think we should expect miracles in terms of reducing the gap, because it’s considerable.”
Verstappen’s new teammate Isack Hadjar was even more blunt.
“The car was truly undrivable – it was even dangerous,” he told Canal Plus, adding that morale within the team has also taken a hit.
“It’s not good. Everyone is working hard to understand what’s going on. Hopefully, the next version of the car will really make a difference.”
Schumacher believes the situation reflects deeper issues.
“Now Red Bull urgently needs to fill this gap. Because obviously the car is a disaster. How often have we seen Max Verstappen off the track now? That never happened before.
“I think there’s something seriously wrong behind the scenes.”
Indeed, internal tensions have reportedly surfaced following the departure of key figures, while sister team Racing Bulls has emerged as an uncomfortable benchmark – sitting just two points behind in the standings.
With a major upgrade planned for Miami, the next race could prove decisive for Wache’s future.
Meanwhile, Verstappen is finding ongoing relief away from Formula 1, with plans to compete at the Nordschleife during the April break and prepare for the 24-hour race in May.
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