Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache will stay at the team until at least 2028, having recently agreed to a contract extension. This is a crucial move for Red Bull, who must conserve their engineering talent amidst Adrian Newey’s exit. The 65-year-old was integral to the team’s success and holds both practical and symbolic value. In this sense, the Austrian team must show they do not experience brain drain.
Ferrari and McLaren close the gap to Red Bull
Of course, it would be a stretch to say that Red Bull is in crisis. Even with Jos Verstappen suggesting the team could self-destruct, the reigning Champions are still leading the Championship. Moreover, Adrian Newey was one component (albeit an essential one) of a hugely skilled technical team.
However, the squad from Milton Keynes is not without vulnerabilities. McLaren’s victory with Lando Norris, though helped by a Safety Car, was the consequence of genuine pace. Freshly equipped with upgrades, the MCL8 was strong enough for Norris to create a 7-second gap to Verstappen.
Ferrari will also introduce upgrades to Imola. Even without their improvements, they managed to match Verstappen and outperform Perez on race day. Slightly better safety car timing could have seen Carlos Sainz claim his second victory of 2024. If anything, the Miami GP was a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in F1 – even for dominant teams.
Red Bull solidifies technical team
Therefore, the team’s latest contract extension of Pierre Wache is crucial. Christian Horner was already working to increase the Frenchman’s input in the team last season, foreseeing the importance of having established figures beyond Adrian Newey.
As reported by racingnews365, Wache will continue with the team until at least 2028 after spending several years as Red Bull’s technical director. This provides the team with much-needed stability and an important point of continuity.
Ferrari are among the teams to try and sign the 49-year-old in the last twelve months. However, his importance to the Austrian outfit’s project was too great. Preventing the kind of brain drain that happened at Mercedes will be essential for the Austrian outfit.
