Technical Director Pierre Waché candidly admits that the Red Bull team would prefer not to see Adrian Newey leave. However, the Frenchman has come to terms with it, and the rest of the team is preparing for the departure of the top designer. Waché himself would rather not take over Newey’s role directly.
Adrian Newey will only leave Red Bull in 2025, but he has already handed over his duties to Technical Director Pierre Waché. This means that the British top designer’s expertise can no longer be relied upon, which, according to the Frenchman, poses a “challenge” for Red Bull. “It’s a shame he’s leaving,” Waché honestly admitted.
The Frenchman reveals that the technical team has known for some time that Newey would be leaving the racing stable, and has prepared accordingly. “We would rather have him with us, but that’s not the case,” explains Waché. “We don’t think in that way, we try to look at what you can do for yourself and how you can improve. If we see weaknesses, we try to improve them and that’s how we work.”
The Team is Bigger Than Newey
Newey was a key player in the development of the dominant Red Bull cars in recent years, and often received all the credit. However, Waché is not bothered that the Brit’s name was mentioned more often than his own.
“I don’t mind if the media say it’s due to whoever,” says Waché. “What’s important is that we know that every individual in the team contributes to the system. Otherwise, it would be a one-person team, but that’s not the case. We have more than 300 engineers in the system to develop our car and make it faster.”
The French engineer, therefore, does not necessarily need the same media attention as Newey. “As far as the media are concerned, I don’t work specifically to be a star or anything. I work because I enjoy my job. I want to succeed and win, that’s the most important thing.”
