SportsNews
Red Bull explains what went wrong with RB20 F1 car
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has delved into the reasons that led the squad to lose the Formula 1 constructors’ title in 2024, although Max Verstappen retained his crown to become a four-time world champion.
Red Bull’s season got off to a flying start with Verstappen winning four of the first five grands prix and leading three 1-2s thanks to Sergio Perez’s contribution.
However, the RB20 slipped down the pecking order as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes took turns at the front of the field in a topsy-turvy campaign. While Verstappen remained a regular podium contender, which was key to his championship success, his Mexican team-mate failed to finish any of the last 18 grands prix in the top five – which cost him his seat, taken by Liam Lawson for 2025.
But Red Bull did not even expect to be dominant at the start of the season.
“The season was basically as challenging as we expected,” Wache told Autosport. “I would say we were more surprised at the beginning of the season because of the gap we had. We expected the whole season to be like the end of the season, a big fight with the others.
“We didn’t expect such a big hole in the middle of the season ourselves, but we did expect a big fight with others.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, make a practice start
© Autosport.com
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, make a practice start
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
So what went wrong with the RB20? While Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously mentioned the team’s 2025 challenger needing a wider operating window, Wache explained the predominant issue was correlation: the CFD and simulator data did not match what happened on the track.
“There are multiple aspects to that story,” the Frenchman elaborated. “The first one is the correlation, that the car had some different characteristics than what we expected in terms of aero.
“Another aspect is that we didn’t expect some elements would affect the car performance as much as they did. They were not there by desire, but maybe we didn’t focus enough on them. Those elements were still there at the end of the season and we have to fix them for 2025.
“We had a loss of downforce in some areas of the [downforce] map and therefore we didn’t perform on track as we thought we could based on the wind tunnel, so there were some holes. That is a correlation issue and in terms of delivery on track it was mainly a balance issue.”
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The balance problems were particularly tricky to handle on kerbs and weren’t acted on straight away due to how dominant the RB20 initially was – no car got within two tenths of the polesitting Red Bull over the first five qualifying sessions in 2024.
“I think we spotted it, but after that the car was quick and we didn’t want to modify it massively,” Wache admitted. “When we came back to Europe and were challenged more by McLaren, then it started to become more and more evident that it was one of the biggest issues for us to go quicker.”
As a consequence, the RB20’s potential wasn’t fully unlocked, Wache said – though he insisted that going back to older specifications would have been detrimental.
“In Qatar the car had the same characteristics and we were able to win fairly and make the quickest car for this track,” he pointed out. “So performance is always relative to the others.”
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has downplayed the impact of losing two key members of staff ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Technical guru Adrian Newey announced his high-profile departure from the Milton Keynes-based outfit at the Miami Grand Prix, working on the brand’s RB17 project in the time ahead of what was later announced as a switch to Aston Martin.
Another loss came later in the year as sporting director Jonathan Wheatley agreed to become the team principal for Audi’s F1 effort, completing a year of gardening leave alongside the outfit’s final year under the Sauber guise.
Both were part of the Red Bull set-up since the team’s infancy in the championship, playing vital roles in the championship wins for Sebastian Vettel(2010-13) and Max Verstappen (2021-24) – but Horner is unmoved by the potential effects their departures could have.
“There’s only two going and obviously, Adrian left in Miami, so we haven’t seen him. He’s been working on the RB17 since then, so he’s not been working on any F1 projects,” Horner told Autosport.
“Obviously, sad to see them go. They’ve both played important roles in the team over their tenure in the team.
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Manager, Red Bull Racing
© Motorsport.com
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Manager, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Andreas Beil
“But the show goes on, and I think we’ve got the strength and depth we’ve got. We have that and arguably 2026 – what we’re gearing up for in 2026 with our own power unit – is by far the biggest challenge and the most ambitious project this team has ever taken on.
“So, 2025, Jonathan will step off the pitwall, but other than that, everything remains the same.”
Insisting the team was not entering a rebuild, Horner added: “I would say rebuild goes way too far for two people that have left. It’s evolution.
“It’s something that has been on the cards for a little while, so something that has been part of the planning for some time.”
Red Bull, which failed to retain its constructors’ title after being overtaken by McLaren and Ferrarilast term, has made further structural changes to the management team, including the promotion of Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to head of racing.
Former senior strategy engineer Stephen Knowles takes on a new head of sporting regulations role which will help ensure compliance with F1’s rules as the liaison point with the FIA, while senior engineer of car engineering Richard Wolverson is taking on the head of racing operations job.
World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull Racing race engineer
© Autosport.com
World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull Racing race engineer
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
On whether Lambiase would still be Verstappen’s voice of reason, Horner explained: “Yes, he’ll still be working directly with Max. He just takes on a broader role, obviously, as he steps up.”
Pointing to the changes made, he added: “It’s just a natural progression trackside with those personnel.
“It’s great because it gives them an opportunity and sometimes an organisation, if it remains stagnant, it fails to progress.
“So, I think this is a fantastic opportunity of progression for many people in the team that have been long standing team members that deserve that opportunity.”
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https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/horner-verstappens-commitment-to-red-bull-never-in-doubt/10686796/
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Eric Chelle as the head coach of the Super Eagles.
The NFF announced the appointment of the Malian tactician in a statement on Tuesday, January 7.
The decision followed the recommendation of the NFF’s Technical and Development Sub-Committee during its meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, January 2, 2025.
Chelle, 47, is a former head coach of Mali’s senior national team, who also managed clubs such as GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne, and MC Oran.
During his playing career in France, he represented Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres, and Chamois Niortais.
Born in Côte d’Ivoire to a French father and a Malian mother, Chelle was eligible to represent Côte d’Ivoire, France, and Mali. He opted for Mali, earning five caps before retiring.
As Mali’s head coach from 2022 to 2024, Chelle led the Aiglons to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
Under his leadership, Mali recorded 14 wins, five draws, and three losses.
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