Ralf Schumacher takes aim at Red Bull chief as ‘disaster’ RB22 leaves Max Verstappen in ‘turmoil’

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Ralf Schumacher has taken aim at Red Bull’s Pierre Wache in the midst of Max Verstappen’s frustrations in 2026, highlighting his doubts over the technical director’s ability to turn the RB22’s fortunes around.

Upon the announcement that Adrian Newey would be leaving Red Bull for Aston Martin during the latter stages of the 2024 F1 season, it became clear that Pierre Wache would have his work cut out for him to replicate the successes of his predecessor.

Doing so has proved to be a mightily difficult task for the Frenchman. He found some success with the RB21 last year, in which Max Verstappen almost pulled off one of the greatest title comebacks in F1 history, but Wache’s leadership was called into question multiple times.

The RB22 has been Red Bull’s biggest regression yet, with Wache’s chassis design missing the mark through several different issues. The main problem is the weight of the F1 car, which is currently understood to be costing Verstappen around ‘two or three tenths’ per lap.

• READ MORE: Max Verstappen doesn’t see himself as part of Red Bull’s ‘fabric’ like Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

Ralf Schumacher doesn’t think Red Bull chief Pierre Wache can fix the RB22’s issues

Speaking via the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher offered his thoughts on the mass exodus that has gripped Red Bull Racing over the last two years.

The former F1 driver noted how the Austrian constructor will sorely miss Gianpiero Lambiase’s organisation inside their team garages on race weekends, while offering his sympathy for team principal Laurent Mekies as he seeks an answer to their current situation.

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“They’re just bleeding out right now, obviously, and Mekies is… I like him very much, but that isn’t his core role either,” Schumacher told co-host Peter Hardenacke. “His core task is, of course, to bring in the best people to work with, ahead of what the headhunters will now bring.

“But everything is really in turmoil for him at the moment. The car is a disaster. It’s too heavy. It’s too sharp to drive. Even Max can’t cope with it. So there, too, you could almost talk about a complete redesign.

“There’s a major update coming. Everyone’s on tenterhooks. To be honest, I can’t imagine it, because I believe that [Pierre] Wache simply cannot connect the technology with the driver sitting inside.”

Schumacher has been a vocal critic of Wache in the past, opining that the Frenchman was actually the real reason for Red Bull’s regression during the opening stages of the 2025 season, and not Christian Horner.

• READ MORE: Red Bull’s engine data spells ‘big trouble’ for Max Verstappen’s 2026 resurgence hopes

Max Verstappen has been unable to put his superpowers to use at the wheel of Red Bull’s RB22

The first three races of the 2026 F1 season have seen the Dutchman endure his worst start to a new campaign since his rookie season in 2015, and the drivability of the RB22 can be attributed as the main reason for such a slow start.

Verstappen has become renowned for his preference for an ‘eye-wateringly sharp’ F1 car during his tenure in the category, with it often being suggested as the main reason for the poor performances of his teammates.

Former F1 driver Marc Surer has also pinpointed how the new F1 regulations no longer allow Verstappen to dominate in fast corners.

The four-time world champion has been a staunch critic of the new ruleset, and his future in F1 has been thrown into question because of his seemingly never-ending qualms with the current crop of cars.