Red Bull has admitted that it’s “not assured” about its possibilities in F1 subsequent 12 months, regardless of Max Verstappen wrapping up his fourth world championship in Las Vegas.
Within the wake of a serious risk from McLaren‘s Lando Norris in a run of races after the summer time break, Pink Bull and Verstappen managed to unravel troubles with their RB20 to unlock the tempo wanted to show the tables in current races.
A shocking efficiency from Verstappen within the moist Brazilian Grand Prix set the stage for him to safe the title in Las Vegas final weekend, regardless of ending behind Mercedes and Ferrari.
However whereas Pink Bull overcame even its personal doubts to win the drivers’ title this 12 months, the workforce thinks that its prospects for 2025 should not nice – particularly as a result of its success this 12 months was helped by its robust begin to the marketing campaign.
Requested if the steps made with the RB20 had left Pink Bull extra optimistic for subsequent 12 months, technical director Pierre Wache mentioned: “I feel we’re pleased with what we’ve got executed rapidly.
“I am not assured for ’25. I am not assured as a result of I feel the others are very fast or are there. It will likely be a battle for the complete 12 months.”
Pierre Wache, Technical Director Pink Bull Racing celebrates on the rostrum
Picture by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
Nonetheless, Wache sees his lack of optimism as a possible energy, as a result of his downbeat evaluation will power the workforce to dig deeper and discover further potential with its RB21.
“When you have confidence on this enterprise, you might be useless,” he mentioned. “It’s a must to work arduous, and everyone has to, within the workforce, work arduous. Everyone’s working arduous.
“If you see the variety of folks we’ve got looking for a really small quantity of efficiency and add and add and add in all places, it’s a very troublesome job.
“I’ve a insecurity, as a result of if I’ve confidence, you fall asleep, you do not go to work, after which you do not discover efficiency.”
Sudden early dominance
Wache instructed that Pink Bull’s dominance in current seasons had induced some shock, as a result of it had anticipated rivals being a lot nearer – because it by no means felt it had unleashed something particular with its automotive.
“What occurred this 12 months by way of preventing is what we anticipated in 2023, to be sincere,” he mentioned. “In ’22, we did not begin the season with the quickest automotive as Ferrari’s begin [was strong].
“So then we anticipated the battle in ’23 but it surely did not occur. And in ’24, from the start of the season, it additionally did not occur! That I can’t clarify.
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB20, leads Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Picture by: Andy Hone
“It is not like if we did a greater job. This [was] extra the others did a foul job throughout sure intervals. McLaren began late on this season. And it is not our fault.
“The automotive was not massively totally different. In absolute phrases, it stays the identical. However we’ve got to enhance the efficiency of the automotive, as a result of the others are faster.”
Monza set off
Whereas Pink Bull confronted a very troublesome center part of this marketing campaign, as McLaren tried to profit from its efficiency benefit, Wache thinks the breakthrough got here at its most troublesome second.
That was on the Italian Grand Prix, when the workforce thinks an absence of tempo in low-downforce situations really helped ship some solutions about what was not working with the RB20.
“I feel clearly Monza was a key level and a wake-up level on our facet,” he mentioned. “It highlighted some subject on the automotive that we did not see earlier than… or we noticed, however we suspected and guessed.
“What’s spectacular is extra how the workforce reacted to repair or to assist this drawback and to cut back it. And in Austin already, we introduced one thing. And I feel even Max mentioned that the automotive got here collectively higher.”
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB20
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photos
One facet that Wache feels Pink Bull must positively do higher on is having a automotive that’s faster throughout a wider vary of circuits.
Requested for the goal for 2025, he mentioned: “Clearly, to have an honest automotive in a number of kinds of observe. I feel on this kind of observe [like in Vegas], we’re not good. So enhancing the low-speed [corners] and straightline velocity is considered one of our targets.”
And one particular design facet that wants a rethink is the workforce’s method to rear wing philosophy – with its option to avoid an ultra-low-downforce specification leaving it uncovered in Monza and Vegas this 12 months.
“I feel it is one thing to suppose [about],” added Wache. “Possibly we did not do it for a number of causes, like finances and time. If you do the rear wing, you do not do one thing else.
“It is clear that possibly it was a mistake. That is one thing we’ve got to evaluate. We’ve got to discover a rear wing that’s higher than what we’ve got. It is also not a simple job, however I feel it is clear that it’s one thing we are going to research, as we dismissed it this 12 months and final 12 months.”