Ralf Schumacher has delivered a harsh criticism of Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Waché, claiming that the RB22 would need to be “completely redesigned” as the team continues to struggle in the F1 2026 season.
Red Bull in free fall
In the last two years, Red Bull has gone through periods of both technical and managerial turbulence. The Milton Keynes-based team has been extremely effective at isolating its track operations from external pressure, managing to win the 2024 World Championship and push a far more competitive McLaren all the way to the final corner of the 2025 title fight, thanks in large part to the extraordinary talent of Max Verstappen.
However, at the start of 2026, even the Dutch superstar has been unable to pull Red Bull out of trouble. The RB22 is showing clear weaknesses in what was once its strongest area — the chassis — forcing the team into a technical restructuring that included promoting Ben Waterhouse within the organisation. For Ralf Schumacher, very little at Milton Keynes is currently working, and the team needs a complete reset starting from team principal Laurent Mekies.
Schumacher’s comments
“Laurent I like, but that is not his role. He knows how to recruit the best people to work with,” said Schumacher on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “Right now, everything is in turmoil for him. The car is a disaster — it is heavy and nervous, not even Max can fully control it. It should be completely redesigned.”
Ralf Schumacher then continued his criticism of technical director Pierre Waché, echoing concerns he already raised in 2025: “A major upgrade is coming, but everyone is holding their breath, they are losing ground. To be honest, I am not optimistic, because I believe Waché is not able to properly align the technology with the driver.”
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