Max Verstappen’s talent in F1 blurring Red Bull’s vision on car development, feels senior employee

Red Bull Racing's Technical Director, Pierre Wache recently revealed that Max Verstappen's exceptional ability to overcome the deficiencies of the RB20 plays a role in hindering the team's ability to develop the car over the season.

After a dominant season in 2023, Red Bull gambled on a concept change for their 2024 car. Despite starting the season on a strong note, the reigning champions have not been able to effectively upgrade their car, with rival teams managing to outpace the RB20.

In a recent interview with the German publication AMuS, Pierre Wache was asked whether Max Verstappen's immense talent behind the wheel makes it more difficult to recognize the deficiencies of the car. Wache agreed, acknowledging that the three-time F1 champion often outperforms the machinery, effectively overcoming its issues. However, this inadvertently prevents the team from identifying and resolving any underlying problems with the car.

"It is true that many deficits are filtered out. This can sometimes lead to a problem being identified too late." the Red Bull Racing director said.

In the fast-paced world of F1, identifying and rectifying issues quickly is key to maintaining pace with the competition. Verstappen's ability to compensate for the shortcomings may indirectly be hurting the team's development trajectory.

Red Bull Racing has lost its advantage over its competitors this season, as McLaren and Mercedes have started to challenge for race wins. Verstappen continues to be in the mix at the front despite not having the fastest car in recent weeks.

With 10 races left in the season, Max Verstappen holds a 78-point lead in the drivers' standings. Meanwhile, Red Bull holds a 42-point advantage over McLaren in the constructors' standings, with the gap narrowing at a rapid rate.

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Pierre Wache compares Max Verstappen to legendary athletes

Pierre Wache and Max Verstappen (Source: Getty)

Meanwhile, Pierre Wache also heaped praise on Max Verstappen's ability to extract the ultimate performance from the car. He compared the 26-year-old to legendary athletes like Roger Federer and Michael Jordan, implying Verstappen was in a league of his own.

In a recent interview with Crash.net, Wache said of the Red Bull driver:

"Some people can do things no one else can. I don't know exactly how or why, but it's what Max can do," Wache continued. "He is like Roger Federer, like Michael Jordan. People like this can do things that seem impossible for others. The driver is the ultimate controller in the car, and Max has the capacity to control it in a way that is unique."

Wache mentioned that Max Verstappen constantly operates the car at its limits, unlike the rest of the drivers, and described his feedback as always "interesting." He added that the feedback from Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez is crucial in developing the car.