Ralf Schumacher: "Pierre Wache is simply no Adrian Newey"

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Red Bull is having a difficult time with the RB21. And unlike in many previous years, Adrian Newey is no longer available to influence development. The most successful Formula 1 designer recently completed his move to Aston Martin , meaning Red Bull will have to make do without Newey. According to Ralf Schumacher, this is precisely the big problem.

In an interview with Sky , the former Formula 1 driver criticized Red Bull's current technical director: "In my opinion, Pierre Wache is simply no Adrian Newey. Accordingly, it will be difficult."

And that's primarily the fault of team boss Christian Horner, says Schumacher: "He built up the entire team and, together with Dr. Marko, was responsible. He should have seen it. And he should never have lost Adrian Newey."

Schumacher: Horner should have kept Newey

But Newey wanted to leave after Aston Martin made him a generous offer : For the first time in his long Formula 1 career, Newey is not only a senior executive in Lawrence Stroll's team, but also a shareholder—something he hadn't previously held at Williams, McLaren, or Red Bull. (Photo gallery: Adrian Newey's motorsport career)

And now, from Red Bull's perspective, Newey is gone. For Schumacher, this is a "classic management problem," he explains. "When I think things are going as they are and I don't need him—that's when it all starts. I think Christian Horner has outgrown himself, and now he's faced with a dilemma."

Because Horner alone won't be able to lead Red Bull back into the fast lane, says Schumacher. "With him, you always get the feeling that he wants to stay afloat in the team and takes things very seriously. And whether that's always a good thing—I don't know."

Is there any improvement in sight at Red Bull?

Especially since, as team boss, Horner cannot design the race car himself and is dependent on talented employees. However, many talented employees—such as Newey and Rob Marshall —have left Red Bull in recent months, partly in response to the Horner scandal in the winter of 2024 , which plunged the team into a state of crisis.

Since then, according to Schumacher, they have "agreed to take things more calmly and demonstrate more unity." But the internal disputes have left their mark, says Schumacher: "In my opinion, the worm is in the worm and it will stay there."