Red Bull Formula 1 technical director Pierre Wache says the team’s RB20 “didn’t deliver what we expected” in every area.
Red Bull won all but one race in 2023, and rather than rest on its laurels the Milton Keynes-based squad made significant changes for this year’s RB20 to ensure it would remain out front in F1.
While it started the season on the front foot with three 1-2 victories over the first four grands prix, it was gradually reeled in by rival teams, with McLaren and Mercedes looking particularly competitive since May.
Speaking exclusively with Motorsport.com, Red Bull tech director Wache says the team was expecting its 2024 car to be stronger in certain areas, especially in high-speed corners, based on its simulation data.
When asked if the RB20 was as good as hoped, he replied: “I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas.
“Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.
“In medium-speed and low-speed we improved quite a lot compared to last year. We were a little bit weaker in the high-speed corners compared to last year relative to the competition.
“In kerb riding we are clearly weak, but we were already last year. I think we didn’t make the improvement we expected in that aspect.”
When asked why Red Bull’s own predictions on where its car would perform well have been off for this season, Wache explained: “I think some aspects can be linked to the correlation.
“We are using quite an old wind tunnel and it can also be linked to the reduced capacity due to our position in the championship [with the ATR testing restrictions] and maybe also the fact that this is the third year with this type of regulations.”
Pierre Wache, Chief Engineer of Performance Engineering at Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
But regardless of Red Bull’s own progress not hitting the heights it had hoped, Wache says the squad actually expected rival teams to catch up from the start of 2024 as teams converge on car designs.
“We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you,” he added. “When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car. Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.
“In 2024 we also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start, because the performance you can find with the car is limited under the same regulations.
“After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start.
“The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point.”
While Max Verstappen still enjoys a comfortable 78-point lead in the drivers’ standings, McLaren has closed to within 42 points of Red Bull in the constructors’ standings with 10 races left to run.
