In the new era at Red Bull, which has seen a complete overhaul of the key figures who shaped the first 20 years of the Austrian team, one of the most important names is Pierre Waché. The technical director of the team since 2018, Waché inherited the legacy of Adrian Newey. The French engineer is known as an extreme perfectionist, rarely allowing himself to celebrate milestones. Even when discussing the legendary RB19, which won 22 of 23 Grands Prix in 2023, Waché prefers to downplay his own role: “Our work wasn’t brilliant; it was the others who were less good than ours.”
This mindset is reflected in the work on the 2026 car, where every component is constantly questioned, even when early data looks promising. In an interview with L’Équipe during winter testing, Waché analyzed the transition to 2026, a development seen in France as a derby with compatriot Loic Serra, Ferrari’s technical director.
The Red Bull-Ford engine: “An incredible job”
One of the biggest unknowns for Red Bull under the new regulations was the competitiveness of the first Power Unit entirely produced in Milton Keynes with Ford support. After winter concerns about possible technical setbacks or delays, the engine proved impressive in pre-season testing, showing remarkable reliability for a debut.
Waché praised the work of his colleagues, calling the progress in the engine department “incredible.” Despite minor issues that affected Isack Hadjar during testing in Bahrain, confidence in the project is complete: “The work from the engine department has been amazing. They’ve delivered something both fast and reliable.” For the technical director, small glitches on track are part of the normal learning curve and do not undermine the strength of a technical base that promises competitiveness from Melbourne. The priority remains how this power will be transferred to the ground through the new aerodynamic concepts.
2026 aerodynamics: the era of diffusers and flow control
Delving into the technical details of the new generation cars, Waché highlighted how the regulatory changes have shifted the performance balance. With the end of the “extreme” ground effect of the previous generation, rear-end design has become the main battlefield for designers. Each team has pursued its own solution, as seen during the two weeks of Bahrain testing, but Waché expects a rapid convergence of solutions once on-track data becomes clear.
“Clearly, the diffuser becomes very important with the end of ground effect,” he explained. “On the grid, there are several concepts going in different directions, but everyone’s main goal is to generate or control the airflow to the rear of the car. With this new regulation, we have many different solutions… for now. But we risk converging quickly toward a single dominant concept.”
In this context, Waché openly observes the competition, praising the attention to detail in the new Mercedes, which he describes as “very well finished.” Despite Toto Wolff’s comments naming Red Bull as the car to beat, Waché returns the compliment, pointing to the Silver Arrows as early-season favorites. This is both a mark of respect and a classic communication strategy to reduce pressure on his own team by positioning rivals as the benchmark at the start of the season.
The championship key: adaptability
For Waché, the 2026 season will not be won at the car launch but through a continuous process of evolution of the technical package. The ability to adjust and understand on-track feedback will be the real factor separating triumph from failure. The concept of a “base car” is now outdated, replaced by a dynamic platform that must be refined race by race.
“The overall car concept isn’t fixed,” Waché detailed. “We won’t be able to change everything, but we can modify a lot. I think this is the key: the most important thing isn’t to have a good car now, but to be able to improve it.” Waché knows Red Bull has historically excelled at this technical “comeback,” but he does not take it for granted, especially given the depth of this technical revolution. “Just because we did it in the past doesn’t mean we’ll automatically do it again,” he concluded.