Ralf Schumacher puts key Red Bull figure on the chopping block: 'I'm going to get in trouble for this'

Ralf Schumacher does not believe Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché is the "right man" to turn the Milton Keynes squad back into a championship-winning team.

The six-time grand prix winner cited the fluctuating fortunes of the Laurent Mekies-led operation, arguing that Waché is not the figure who can bring stability in the long term.

Built upon a foundation of renewed ways of working at Red Bull and a transformative floor upgrade to the RB21, Max Verstappen has thrust himself back into contention for the F1 drivers' championship.

Those factors have been the backbone of the Dutchman taking three victories and two podium finishes over the past five rounds.

However, his luck has run out in Brazil. After crossing the line fourth in the sprint at Interlagos, the 28-year-old endured his worst qualifying in four years and will start the São Paulo Grand Prix from the pit lane after Red Bull made further changes to his car.

After experimenting with the set-up ahead of qualifying, Red Bull conceded that the risks taken had not paid off, and consigned him to a first Q1 elimination since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, having only been able to go P16.

Now, Schumacher believes only a miracle can help Verstappen to his fifth consecutive F1 drivers' title, with Lando Norris, on pole, 39 points ahead going into the 71-lap race.

In order to prove the 68-time grand prix winner the consistency he needs, the former Jordan, Williams and Toyota driver believes there are still two issues that require solving.

"Red Bull now faces two tasks: on the one hand, they have to complete the driver line-up for next year," the 50-year-old said on Sky Sports Germany. "The position of team boss is now well filled, that's done.

"But in my view, and I know I'm going to get in trouble for this tomorrow, Pierre Waché is not the right man to get a grip on the situation in the long term."

Schumacher continued: "We have seen brilliant races from Red Bull, but we see it constantly going up and down. Then the expectations have to be adjusted again.

"At some point, they seem to understand where it has gone wrong, but then again, later it turns out not to. Formula 1 is now just too competitive and too complex to be able to afford that if you want to be champion."