Max Verstappen has been ‘badly let down’ by a Red Bull employee he didn’t fully trust

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Max Verstappen’s struggles with Red Bull this season have come down to one official who he was critical of as far back as last season.

Red Bull prioritising last season over 2026 has cost them, as they find themselves behind all the other top teams this season.

Christian Horner predicted Red Bull would struggle with the new regulations, and that prediction has come true.

Should Red Bull have given up on the 2025 title to prioritise 2026?

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Pierre Wache had promised Red Bull would be faster coming into the season. However, he has failed to deliver on that promise.

And now, every concern Max Verstappen expressed about his work with Red Bull last season is proving valid just three races into the 2026 campaign.

READ MORE: James Hinchcliffe believes Max Verstappen’s emotions can ‘outweigh’ feelings within Red Bull

Red Bull’s chassis has let down the strong work of their powertrain division

On The Race’s F1 podcast, Scott Mitchell-Malm spoke about the disappointing work that Red Bull has done with their chassis, led by technical director Pierre Wache.

He noted that the powertrains, which could have been their biggest letdown this season, have actually performed well. Instead, it’s their chassis issues that have let the team down.

“It’s a really, really bad reflection on the car that the engine isn’t the weakest part of this package. It should be. The Red Bull powertrain side, they’ve done a fantastic job to build what they have. I definitely don’t want to play down the job that they’ve done there. I want to play up the challenge.

“It should have tripped Red Bull up, and it obviously could have, but it should have tripped Red Bull up more than it has.

“To have what looks just like comfortably the third best engine, I don’t think it’s quite as good as the Mercedes or the Ferrari, even though it does look pretty good in certain situations compared to them… But it’s been badly let down on the car side, and not for the first time.

“It’s a technical organisation at the start of rules with a heavy car, not quite got it exactly where it needs to be. That’s a big worry, frankly, for Red Bull. For all of the supposed progress last year and what that was meant to do in terms of the lessons.”

READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher says ‘there’s something seriously wrong’ at Red Bull after Adrian Newey exit

Isack Hadjar blames Red Bull’s chassis for their poor start to 2026 – Are you surprised that their engine has not been the biggest issue?

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Max Verstappen is vindicated in his frustration with Pierre Wache

As far back as last season, Verstappen had put pressure on Wache for Red Bull’s struggles during the first half of the season.

While some felt that Verstappen was being too harsh on Wache and Red Bull at the time, the RB22’s chassis has proven that his concerns at the time were right.

Even if Verstappen’s comments hurt Red Bull morale at the time, his words should have served as a warning to the team ahead of the new regulations being introduced.

Now, as Verstappen and Red Bull struggle to find pace this season, the pressure has mounted on Wache yet again, who could be in the hot seat if they don’t improve when the season resumes.