The technical director of Red Bull, Pierre Waché, has shed light on the significant transformations that have transpired between the RB20 and its successor, the RB21. The team has meticulously analyzed the pitfalls and challenges from the RB20 and used these lessons to improve the new model for the 2025 season.
The RB21 demonstrated strong performance during pre-season testing, earning praise from Max Verstappen, who confessed his pleasure in driving the new model. This positive feedback comes in stark contrast to Verstappen’s experience with the RB20, which he found difficult to maneuver.
Waché explained that Red Bull’s triumph during the early stages of the F1 2024 season was overshadowed by subsequent difficulties, including handling issues that saw them lose ground to rivals McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Despite Verstappen’s successful defense of his championship title, Red Bull slipped to third in the Constructors’ Championship due to decreased competitiveness and Sergio Perez’s failure to score points.
However, the team demonstrated commendable progress during the final quarter of the championship. They successfully identified and rectified the misdirection of their development, which led to immediate victories for Verstappen in the Sprint race in the USA, and later in Brazil and Qatar.
During the off-season, the critical question was the strategic direction Red Bull would take for the final year of the current regulations. Amid the diminishing returns of a drastic shift, would they opt for evolution or revolution? Waché revealed that they decided to re-evaluate the entire car, modifying most of the components that might not be immediately visible.
The team’s objective was to make the RB21 more user-friendly for the drivers, reducing the peakiness of the car to provide a more straightforward driving experience. Waché pointed out that the redefined car offers a broader range of setups, providing more freedom but also requiring more time to determine the best compromises for different tracks.
Waché dismissed the idea that Red Bull merely refined the approach used during the latter stages of the 2024 season. Instead, he emphasized that the team had re-conceptualized the car in a new direction, resulting in the RB21 being around 0.3 to 0.4 seconds faster per lap than the RB20.
A significant issue that plagued the RB20 was a correlation problem between the real-life data and the simulated performance of the car. Waché admitted that he does not have full confidence in resolving these issues but emphasized the importance of using the available tools and information to make decisions.
Former Red Bull F1 chief technical officer Adrian Newey had previously suggested that the development of the RB20 had gone astray due to the inexperience of the team. Waché, however, expressed his indifference towards these comments, focusing instead on the importance of learning from past mistakes and continually improving for the future.
Waché concluded by emphasizing that his goal is not personal fame but the success of the Red Bull team. He praised the hard work and dedication of the young members of the team and expressed his satisfaction in seeing them grow and contribute to the team’s performance.