With the departure of master designer Adrian Newey in early 2025, the pressure intensifies on Pierre Waché’s shoulders. As the Technical Director of Red Bull, he already leads a team of about 600 people, half of whom are engineers. However, from the upcoming season, all eyes will be on him. Can he carry Adrian Newey’s legacy?
We spoke with Waché at the end of last season about his work and personal ambitions. Read the story below, which has been updated based on recent events.
A conversation with Pierre Waché (48) is usually accompanied by a smile. The Frenchman is dead serious when it comes to his profession and Formula 1, but when it comes to his command of the English language, he occasionally pokes fun at himself. His accent reminds one of café owner René from the world-famous comedy series Allo Allo from the 80s and 90s with the famous one-liner: ‘Listen carefully, I shall only say this once…’ “At least people can hear that I am a Frenchman,” he says.
Graduated Biochemist
As a graduated biomechanic with a passion for motorsport, Waché joined Michelin after his university studies in France (Institut National Polytechnique De Lorraine in Nancy) and the United States (Georgia Tech, Atlanta) in 2001, which was then the tire supplier for Formula 1. After a stint at BMW-Sauber, he landed at Red Bull Racing in 2013. Initially as chief engineer, since 2018 he has been the technical director of Max Verstappen’s team and until recently the second in line in technical terms, behind master designer Adrian Newey. Now, he is the new big man…
Transitioning to Red Bull Technology Campus
For Waché, the Red Bull Technology Campus in Milton Keynes was a completely different world from what he was used to. “Michelin is obviously not a racing team, but a tire manufacturer. This implies a completely different dynamic. At Michelin, it was about product development and then sales. A lot of money was invested in medium and long-term projects. At Red Bull, we focus mainly on winning races, which is short-term. I am very competitive, which is why I love Formula 1. It’s the only place in the world where you have a technical competition, which is fantastic for an engineer.”
Adjusting to British Culture
The cultural difference was also a bit of a shift, admits Waché. “A Frenchman in the United Kingdom, yes, that requires some adjustment.” The food culture, to name one thing. “We have a very nice French bakery in Oxford, where we live, but it tastes different.”
“Before this, we lived in Switzerland. Our three children spoke German. That was a big adjustment for them. They are now fully integrated and speak native English, at least from my perspective. They certainly don’t have my accent. Living in another country has not only had a major impact on my personal life, but also on my work. You have to express yourself in a different language. Especially when it comes to details, this can be a handicap, it’s just more difficult to subtly define something, especially when it comes to complicated technical matters. That took time.”
Performance Pressure in a Top Team
There is also the performance pressure that comes with being part of a top team. “The work at Red Bull is fundamentally no different from Sauber-BMW, but the goal is. And that changes the atmosphere and the people around you. At Sauber, I also worked with good people, but we didn’t have the resources we have at Red Bull. We tried to do the maximum with what we had at our disposal. At Red Bull, we essentially have all the resources, so there are no excuses for losing.”
Waché: ‘I am a Perfectionist’
According to Waché, this means that the pressure is much higher and feels more personal. “At least for me. I am a perfectionist. Technical people are strict. At our level, it’s not about achieving the perfection that you never reach, but attention to detail. Because that’s how we make a difference. In our profession, a car that is 1% slower is a bad car, which is bizarre when you think about it.”
In 2023, Waché and his team of about 300 engineers and approximately 300 production staff did a good job. Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races last season, Sergio Pérez won two. Never before has a team been so dominant. This season has also started promisingly with Verstappen winning four out of five races. Once he dropped out due to brake problems, in Melbourne.
In 2023, Waché often asked himself whether the RB19 was so fast or if Max Verstappen was just that good. “Developing a fast car is a concept, it doesn’t exist. A fast car is a car with which the driver can perform at his maximum. In that respect, we failed, because only one driver, Max in this case, could handle it well. That is a talent of Max, that he knew how to use the car well throughout the season and under different circumstances. On the other hand, we may not have understood what Checo needs to also extract the potential from the RB19.”
‘Talent and Car Come Together’
But was the success of 2023 mainly due to Max or was it the car? “I think you need both. The more talent the driver has, the better the car performs. Because talent and car come together. As you make a car easier to drive, you reduce its potential. Believe me, if I were to drive this car myself, I would not only be slow, but also crash.”
Working with Adrian Newey: A Privilege and a Challenge
Pierre Waché expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work closely with Adrian Newey. “Without him, I wouldn’t be at Red Bull. He’s the one who brought me here. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him since my arrival. The way we collaborate has evolved over the years. He’s no longer fully committed to the F1 project, which means I have more room. And Adrian is a highly competitive individual. He never gives up. In many ways, he’s an inspiration to me. His motivation and dedication are impressive, especially considering all he’s achieved. He always challenges you to think about what could be improved.”
In this sense, Waché and Newey are quite similar, Waché continues. He admits that he struggles to sleep after both good and bad results. Laughing, he says, “I never sleep.”
Work as a High-Level Sport
Waché explains, “This job takes up a large part of your life. It’s always on my mind, especially because I work with a very good team. We constantly challenge each other. As a result, you find yourself thinking about things that were said even in the middle of the night. And the work environment is incredibly competitive. We want to be better than everyone else. We may not be drivers, but for us, this work is a high-level sport.”
Waché expresses satisfaction with his role as technical director. A position as team boss in the future? Not for him. He prefers to operate out of the spotlight, as Red Bull’s quiet force. “The work I do now is what I enjoy. And if you have something you enjoy, you don’t give it up.” Even though the job is demanding, he admits. Especially towards the end of the season, the fatigue is noticeable. Slowing down? Maybe just a bit. Waché concludes, “The work is never done. We’ve won a lot, but we want to keep winning.”
