Wache responds to Newey’s ‘inexperience’ jab at Red Bull

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has responded to recent suggestions from legendary designer Adrian Newey that the Austrian team’s performance struggles in 2024 arose from “inexperience” within its engineering ranks.

The 2024 Formula 1 season was a turbulent one for the Milton Keynes-based outfit, marked by the high-profile departure of Newey and unexpected issues with the team’s RB20 car.

As the team watched McLaren overtake them to claim the Constructors’ Championship, Newey – speaking post-exit – pointed to a possible lack of experience as the root of their woes. Wache, however, offered a pragmatic counterpoint in an interview with website Planet F1.

Newey’s departure as chief technical officer after nearly two decades with Red Bull racing stunned the paddock when it was announced ahead of the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.

Soon after, Red Bull began grappling with balance issues in the RB20 – though no direct connection to Newey’s exit has been proven.

McLaren’s remarkable performance surge only intensified the challenge, propelling them past Red Bull in the standings and securing their first Constructors’ title since 1998.

Reflecting on Red Bull’s difficulties earlier this year in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Newey said:

“From what I can see from the outside, but I don’t know, the guys at Red Bull – this is no criticism – I think they just, perhaps through lack of experience, kept going in that same direction.”

Wache Responds: Experience Isn’t the Whole Story

Wache, however, shrugged off Newey’s assessment, acknowledging their age and experience gap without taking offense.

“It’s true that I have a lot less experience than [Newey],” he conceded. “He’s 66 years old, and I’m 50 – 16 years less experience than him.

“I cannot comment on that. I don’t take it personally, and maybe it’s true. It doesn’t change anything, I think what you have to learn… this type of comment, for me, doesn’t matter.”

For Wache, the priority lies in dissecting the team’s performance rather than debating personal critiques. And he readily admitted to shortcomings in 2024.

“We didn’t do a good enough job last year, and we lost ground in terms of performance – maybe by experience, maybe by misunderstanding some stuff, and we tried to correct it.”

Instead of fixating on Newey’s words, Wache underscored the value of learning from the season’s challenges.

Turning Setbacks Into Strengths

Despite slipping to third in the Constructors’ Championship behind McLaren and Ferrari, Red Bull’s 2024 wasn’t a complete disaster – Max Verstappen clinched his fourth straight Drivers’ Championship in Las Vegas, outdueling McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Wache views the team’s struggles as a catalyst for improvement.

“What is correct is that it looks, for me, that we understand,” he said. “I think this is how you learn the most.

“When we were in 2023, we learned less than last year, and every problem you have gives you a little bit more to understand what you need to do.”

Problem-solving, Wache emphasized, is the essence of his role.

“In this sense, I think it was very beneficial, and it’s what I enjoy the most. Fixing a problem is our job,” he explained.

Personal barbs, meanwhile, barely register.

“Personally, it doesn’t affect me. From my point of view, my job is not personal,” he added.

“My job is to make sure, in an engineering competition, I’m more affected by the fact that we are not good enough and losing, than a personal comment about myself.”

Wache’s cool-headed response to Newey’s critique paints a picture of a technical director driven by results, not rhetoric.

Whether inexperience, missteps, or McLaren’s dominance derailed Red Bull in 2024, Wache’s mission is clear: analyze, adapt, and win.

With a champion driver still in their corner, Red Bull’s resurgence feels tantalizingly close.

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