Wachè explains why Red Bull doesn't want to give Verstappen an easier car to drive
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
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Tobia is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with experience at international circuits. Since 2022, he has covered Grands Prix across Europe, delivering reliable coverage and insights from the paddock.
It might seem surprising: Red Bull Racing’s second driver has, on multiple occasions this season, been slower than the drivers of Racing Bulls — the Austrian team’s sister outfit. However, technical director Pierre Waché is clear that he does not want to create a clone of the Racing Bulls car, even though such a car might be easier to handle for a driver other than Max Verstappen.
"We don't need a copy of the Racing Bulls," Waché said in conversation with Motorsport. The reason, according to the french engineer, is pretty straightforward: "I'm sure Max would not be happy if we offered him such a car."
"He is our main asset when it comes to results. We don't want to make the car easier by reducing its overall potential."
Verstappen doesn't want a second Racing Bulls car
The challenge lies here: a second Racing Bulls car might make things easier for Yuki Tsunoda to manage and thus help him progress. But such a car lacks the performance potential of Verstappen’s RB21.
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Red Bull's technical director Pierre Wachè
That doesn’t stop Waché from trying to transfer some features of the Racing Bulls car to Verstappen’s. The technical director mentions, for example, the challenge of finding the right balance between the car’s speed and its limited tire wear.
In any case, Waché believes Tsunoda will improve his performance, as the team requires feedback from both drivers to advance: “As technical director, I need feedback from both drivers. The best would be if they were close together. That is not the case at the moment''.
This article was written in collaboration with Ludo Van Denderen
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