"Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are there at the top," claims Red Bull's Pierre Wache

F1 Test, Sakhir, Bahrain International Circuit

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache offered a detailed and candid assessment of the team’s performance as the opening three‑day pre‑season test in Bahrain came to a close.

His reflections painted a picture of a productive but demanding week, marked by strong mileage, valuable feedback, and a few early‑season setbacks that the team is already working to address.

Wache described the test as a constructive start, explaining that “it has been a positive week, running a full day with Max, with plenty of testing time as we worked on understanding the car and the direction to go in with the power unit.” The team’s ability to complete a full programme with Verstappen on day one provided a strong foundation for the rest of the test.

However, the week was not without complications. Wache acknowledged that the second day brought challenges, particularly for Isack Hadjar, whose morning running was compromised.

He noted that “unfortunately, on day two we had some problems with the hydraulics on the chassis side, which compromised Isack’s running in the morning but we were able to recover this in the afternoon.” Despite the setback, the team managed to regain lost ground and continue gathering data.

The final day offered more clarity on the car’s behaviour, with both Verstappen and Hadjar contributing to the team’s understanding of setup direction.

Wache explained that “this morning with Max we evaluated set-ups and saw some good direction and this was similar with Isack this afternoon, so it's been quite positive with the mileage done this week.” The consistency across both sessions gave the engineers confidence in the development path ahead.

Despite the progress, Wache emphasized that the RB still requires significant refinement. He stressed that “we need to make sure the car continues to develop a lot more to improve the issue on the balance side and we know that there is a lot of room for improvement.”

The drivers have been instrumental in identifying those areas, with Wache adding that “our drivers are very motivated and have given us a lot of feedback on where we can improve the car and how we can change the direction of development.”

One of the standout themes of Wache’s reflection was the achievement of Red Bull Ford Powertrains, which is entering its first season supplying a fully in‑house power unit.

He praised the group’s rapid progress, stating that “in general, Red Bull Ford Powertrains has done a remarkable job as a start-up; in three and a half years we have created a power unit and have it out running on track, which is fantastic.”

But he also acknowledged that the next phase is crucial: “the second step is to see where we are sitting compared to others and improve.”

Wache did not shy away from noting that several competitors appear to have started the year strongly. He observed that “there were a few teams which were clearly very quick today and it looks like we are behind, so there is still a lot to improve. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are there at the top.”

The technical director described the early phase of the season as “a massive learning curve, there are plenty of unknowns and a lot to do.” He emphasized that the team is already working methodically through its findings: “we have been evaluating our weaknesses and strengths and are just focusing on improving the car.”

Looking ahead to the next test, Wache concluded that “we go into next week looking at what we can bring to the car to make it better and solve the issues we have identified.”