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Red Bull Doubles Down on Speed Over Stability as RB21 Development Takes Shape

Harry Bright by Harry Bright
February 9, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Red Bull Doubles Down on Speed Over Stability as RB21 Development Takes Shape

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 07: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 is pushed back into the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 07, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202412070276 // Usage for editorial use only //

After a brutal mid-season slump cost them the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull is refusing to take the conventional route with their next title challenger. While some expected the Austrian juggernaut to focus on a more driver-friendly machine, Technical Director Pierre Wache has made it clear—Red Bull will continue to prioritize raw speed over a wider operating window for the RB21.

This bold strategy comes despite Red Bull’s struggles with the RB20’s unpredictable handling, which Max Verstappen himself branded a “monster” after a 10-race winless streak nearly derailed his championship run. But even with those setbacks, Wache remains firm—ultimate performance trumps accessibility.

Verstappen’s Nightmare: Why the RB20 Fell Apart

For much of 2024, Red Bull’s RB20 remained one of the fastest cars on the grid—but only when conditions were perfect. The car’s small operating window meant that even minor track conditions could throw it off balance, leading to a mid-season collapse that saw McLaren snatch away the Constructors’ crown.

Team Principal Christian Horner acknowledged the problem, admitting that Red Bull needed to broaden the car’s sweet spot to avoid a repeat of last season’s painful struggles.

“The engineers have been very focused on how you broaden that window,” Horner stated. “Not necessarily adding ultimate performance, but just broadening the window so we’re across the different challenges and have a much wider operating window.”

But Wache sees things differently. Instead of flattening the performance curve for the sake of stability, Red Bull is laser-focused on pure speed—even if it makes life harder for the drivers.

Wache’s Take: Fastest Car First, Comfort Second

In a high-stakes revelation, Wache bluntly dismissed the idea of prioritizing stability over raw performance.

“As a dream, of course, you want that, but you [also] know that the overall potential decreases if you increase the window,” Wache told Motorsport.com Netherlands.

His stance is simple: Red Bull isn’t going to sacrifice ultimate competitiveness just to make the RB21 easier to drive.

“If you look at other teams’ cars and how they lie, they are all insanely stiff. What you want is to produce the fastest car, but it’s not that a car is slow because the window in which it operates is small. What you want is to be in the right window for each circuit, so that you can anticipate that.”

This is a risky philosophy, as the RB20’s downfall last season was largely due to its inconsistency. Even Verstappen, who dominated much of the early season, struggled to extract performance in unpredictable conditions.

But Wache remains steadfast:

“If you can achieve that, why would you want to increase the window and flatten the overall potential of a car?”

Risk vs. Reward: Can Red Bull Reclaim the Throne?

While Red Bull’s aggressive approach delivered historic dominance in 2023, last season proved that there is a fine line between being unbeatable and being unreliable.

Wache acknowledges that Red Bull’s initial development path last year was flawed, particularly in how they responded to McLaren’s mid-season resurgence. But even with that realization, he refuses to compromise on the RB21’s ultimate ceiling.

“The most important thing is that you are always looking for ways to make the car faster while ensuring that drivers can get the most out of it,” Wache stated.

His final message? Red Bull will not lower the RB21’s potential just to make it easier to drive. Instead, they will work on ensuring it’s in the right window at the right time—a high-risk, high-reward strategy that could either restore their dominance or lead to another season of inconsistency.

Final Verdict: A Gamble That Could Define 2025

With McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes all making aggressive moves for 2025, Red Bull is doubling down on their all-or-nothing approach.

Will this speed-first mentality allow them to reclaim the Constructors’ Championship, or will another unstable package leave Verstappen and Red Bull vulnerable again?

One thing is certain—Red Bull is sticking to its DNA, and in 2025, it’s going to be full-throttle or bust.

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