As Formula 1 teams head for the sweltering streets of Singapore, Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Waché is tempering the excitement from recent triumphs with a dose of reality.
With McLaren’s orange horde dominating the 2025 season – snatching 12 victories out of 17 races so far – the Milton Keynes squad’s back-to-back wins in Italy and Azerbaijan have reignited hopes.
But Waché warns that next weekend’s high-drama Grand Prix at Marina Bay will be the ultimate litmus test for their revamped ride.
Back-to-Back Boost from Monza Magic
For Red Bull, it all kicked off at Monza earlier this month, where the team unveiled a game-changing new floor that propelled Max Verstappen to glory.
The upgrade didn’t just shine on the Temple of Speed; it carried over to Baku, delivering another Verstappen masterclass and handing the team four race wins on the 2025 board.
Fans are buzzing about a potential late-season surge, with whispers of Verstappen crashing the drivers’ title party. Yet Waché, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, is keeping feet firmly on the ground.
“We brought a new floor, it looks like it’s working,” he said, crediting the part for their recent edge. “Maybe also some setup arrangement with this new floor that gives us a possibility [to compete].
“It looks like we are more competitive again at a low-downforce track.”
But Singapore? That’s a different beast altogether – a twisty, high-downforce nightmare that chews up cars and spits out surprises.
Waché doesn’t sugarcoat it when addressing next week’s nocturnal challenges.
“We will see in Singapore where we are. That is not normally our type of track. It will be the real test. If we are competitive there and we don’t lose too much ground, then we sort out our problem,” he said.
In Contention for Constructors’ Crown?
While Verstappen’s heroics have sparked title talk, Waché shut down the hype with characteristic pragmatism. Red Bull’s gaze is locked on the scrap for second place against Mercedes and Ferrari, not on hunting down McLaren, at least not yet.
©RedBull
“It’s race by race and you have to realise that it is so difficult to win a race, so difficult to win this competition,” he cautioned.
“We won two races in a row, it’s too quick to say that we are in contention. Our focus is to make the car as quick as possible. The main focus is also to beat Ferrari and Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.”
As Red Bull heads to Marina Bay, all eyes will be on whether the upgrades and strategy adjustments can hold off their rivals in a race that presents a stark contrast to the tracks where the team has recently excelled.
Ahead of what could be a pivotal weekend, Waché’s words hang in the air like exhaust fumes: this is no victory lap, but a high-stakes proving ground. And Red Bull better be ready to rumble.
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