Red Bull development working on 'three cars’ at the same time

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has explained why the team is working on three cars at the moment, with the champions suddenly being fought for supremacy now and F1 set for a major rules overhaul in 2026.

With the Milton Keynes outfit having dominated F1 for two years, the French engineer insists the technical side of the team is still "massively focused" on the task at hand, as Ferrari and McLaren continue to close in.

That has led to increased external pressure on Red Bull to bring substantive updates to the RB20, to counter the steps taken by its nearest competitors. Over the past three rounds, each of the three teams has taken a grand prix victory, with Red Bull's win in Imola arguably the hardest won.

Ferrari and McLaren's uptick in form and performance coincides with Adrian Newey announcing he will leave Red Bull in early 2025 after helping lead the team to 13 championships since joining in 2006.

“I think the technical team is massively focused on the car and on the performance,” Wache told F1TV, at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, when asked how news of Newey's impending departure had been taken internally and how confident he is in the technical department at Red Bull.

“For the current year and next year’s development, we have three cars to work on, [also with] 2026 that is a big change. As a person, people like [Newey], and he’s leaving… but we are focused on our side, to be fair.”

'The main challenge is how to balance the resource'

Whilst Red Bull continues to work on its 2024 and 2025 cars, attention is slowly shifting towards the regulations changes in 2026, with F1 introducing a wide-scoped re-write of the power unit and aerodynamic rules.

The former has already been announced, with increased electrical output and 100 percent sustainable fuels being used for the first time in F1. Furthermore, Red Bull is taking engine production in-house - something it has not done before.

Although the latter section of the rules is yet to be confirmed, F1 is looking to introduce elements of 'active aero' to the new cars, which will pose a considerable challenge to the teams.

“I think we are looking forward, because the more you think about it, the more you can anticipate some issues,” Wache replied when he was asked about the most challenging aspects of the comprehensive regulations change in 2026.

“We will be able to work on the aero side only in the beginning of next year, then we are preparing ourselves. The engine is a big challenge also for us, and it’s looking promising.

“For sure, we work on it, and the main challenge is how to balance the resource between all these [current and future] projects.”