Max Verstappen has now sparked big behind the scenes change from ‘anxious’ Red Bull chief

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Max Verstappen has re-emerged as a contender for the 2025 F1 drivers’ title with his recent results, which have also kept the spotlight away from one Red Bull team chief.

The F1 drivers’ championship increasingly appeared to be getting away from Verstappen this year, as he faced a 104-point deficit to McLaren rival Oscar Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix. Yet the 28-year-old reduced his deficit to 63 points over the subsequent three events.

Verstappen still faces a major hurdle to become a five-time champion in the 2025 F1 season. But the Dutchman denying Piastri and Lando Norris the crown might not be impossible after he proved the Red Bull RB21 can be a true match for the McLaren MCL39 at various circuits.

The MCL39 was the dominant package for most of the year, but it especially excelled in high and medium-speed corners and the RB21 struggled. Yet while McLaren prioritised F1’s 2026 regulations, Red Bull continued to develop the RB21 and improved its high-downforce pace.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has lost his ‘anxious’ look in the F1 paddock

Red Bull introduced a floor update at Monza, which helped Verstappen win the Italian Grand Prix from pole position. The Dutchman also won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole in Baku and he was second after Red Bull debuted a front wing upgrade at the Singapore Grand Prix.

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Verstappen’s back-to-back wins from pole and then his P2 at Marina Bay have also helped to see Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache replace his ‘anxious expression’ in the paddock with a smile. GPblog reports that the Frenchman had often ‘looked tense’ throughout 2025.

Wache frequently ‘hurried through the paddock’ after races during the bleakest moments of Red Bull’s term. But Verstappen’s recent results have drastically improved his mood, as well as representing a resurgence for Red Bull under their new F1 team principal Laurent Mekies.

Yet despite Wache overseeing the upgrades that have fuelled Verstappen’s improved results, the spotlight has been on the Dutchman and Mekies. Wache and his technical team had also started working on the upgrades before Mekies replaced Christian Horner at Red Bull in July.

Pierre Wache has potentially saved his job with Red Bull’s recent upgrades

Given the impact of Red Bull’s upgrades in the past few rounds, Wache was “disappointed” that Verstappen did not win the Singapore GP. The Frenchman felt the Dutchman may have been able to finally win around Marina Bay had Red Bull adopted a more aggressive set-up.

Verstappen was still able to outscore both McLaren drivers for the third round in succession in Singapore, however, and he will even be expected to rival Piastri and Norris at the United States Grand Prix at COTA this weekend. And Verstappen has Wache and his team to thank.

Wache even has Verstappen delivering with Red Bull’s recent upgrades to thank for helping him. It is thought that Wache has potentially saved his job at Red Bull, as the Milton Keynes squad struggling to improve the RB21 this season had put the Frenchman’s future in doubt.