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Ted Kravitz has revealed that Red Bull chief Pierre Wache is currently under pressure at the front-running F1 constructor amid ongoing issues with the prowess of the RB22’s chassis.
Max Verstappen suffered yet another problem during the dying stages of qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, just weeks after he crashed out of the one-lap shootout in Spielberg.
The Hungarian GP grid after Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli’s penalties – Who will gain the most positions?
The Dutchman suffered a late spin in Budapest on Saturday, and will start Sunday’s Grand Prix from P6 on the grid.
Red Bull’s Macarena wing was deemed to be the problem yet again, according to a furious Verstappen in the media pen after qualifying, and Ted Kravitz believes the Austrian constructor’s technical director, Pierre Wache, is now severely under the spotlight.
- READ MORE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2026: How to watch, F1 race and qualifying start times, and weather forecast
Pierre Wache is now ‘under pressure’ at Red Bull, says Ted Kravitz
Speaking via his Ted’s Qualifying Notebook segment for Sky Sports F1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the British broadcaster’s pit-lane reporter outlined the sentiments that were coming out of the Red Bull garage after yet another difficult qualifying session in 2026.
Let us know your podium prediction for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix! 🇭🇺
“Red Bull have got a problem; they’ve got a big problem, and the upgrade that they brought a couple of races ago in Austria and are still adding to has a problem,” Kravitz began (25/07 17:20), touching upon the recurring issue of Red Bull’s rear wing.
“Max called it ‘aerodynamically, completely broken’,” he continued. “Max joined Isack in calling the Red Bull ‘undrivable’. Max called it ‘really, really bad’, [and] ‘what a bleep weekend’, he said.”
Verstappen fumed about not being able to start from the pit lane at Silverstone a few rounds back, which led him to reignite rumours of the four-time world champion potentially splitting from Red Bull at the end of the year.
For one, Kravitz “wouldn’t be at all surprised” if Laurent Mekies and co allow the Dutchman to start from the pit lane tomorrow after replacing the RB22’s rear wing with a more consistent component. However, Verstappen’s P6 grid slot throws up some issues.
“The problem is that Max is not exactly out of it is P6, and Isack is P8,” Kravitz added. “But do they change the rear wing back to the Spar rear wing, and think, ‘Look, something is not happening?’
- READ MORE: Max Verstappen’s rear wing saga at Silverstone overshadowed a more concerning issue for Red Bull
“Do they put the old Spar rear wing, old reliable, back on? It might be a bit slower, but at least they know what it’s going to do, and then do the Hungarian Grand Prix that way.
“I don’t know, because that’s not exactly the aerodynamic upgrade that’s going to persuade Max Verstappen that he wants to stay with Red Bull next year.”
Kravitz concluded the segment with a soundbite from Wache, who he noted as currently being “under pressure” within Red Bull’s setup: “‘We are doing all we can to improve the car’. So, there is a little bit of worry and frustration there.”
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