Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen were in action on for Red Bull Racing during the first day of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. Technical director Pierre Waché reflects on the first day of running ahead of the start of the season with satisfaction. For Lawson, it was his first winter test session ever. The Frenchman explained that adjusting the set-up was important for the coming test days.
The team will benefit from extra wind tunnel time this season because Red Bull Racing finished third in the 2024 constructors’ championship. While this serves as a small consolation after losing significant prize money, it might actually work in Red Bull’s favour. Technical director Pierre Waché believes the additional development time could prove to be an advantage as the team looks to bounce back in 2025.
Pierre Wache understands that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko would like the RB21’s set-up window to be larger, but has no intention of making these changes. Indeed, the technical director argues that this would cause the team to lose performance, which he refuses to do if it only benefits the engineers.
Max Verstappen could not understand why Red Bull did not have a special rear wing created for high-speed tracks, as the Dutchman voiced his thoughts following the Italian GP. Despite Verstappen being critical, technical director Pierre Wache explained why Red Bull do not know at the moment whether they will create such wings for the 2025 season.
For Red Bull Racing, there is a lot of pressure on the F1 season opener in 2025, with many wondering if the balance problems that hindered them in 2024 have been fixed. Will Max Verstappen and brand-new teammate Liam Lawson be able to fight for wins consistently again? Technical director Pierre Waché stresses how crucial it is that the balance problems are fixed, as they cause a chain reaction of even more difficulties.
