Dakar Rally: Red Bull’s Technical Director Highlights Challenges with RB20 Performance

In the fast-paced world of the Dakar Rally, Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache has provided some insightful commentary on the team’s performance with the RB20 car. Despite their dominant run in the previous season, Wache admits that the 2024 car “didn’t deliver what we expected” across various areas.

Wache Acknowledges Room for Improvement

Speaking exclusively with Motorsport.com, Wache acknowledged that while the team has improved compared to last year, there were certain aspects where they fell short of their own predictions. “Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have,” he said, noting that the car performed better in medium and low-speed corners.

Wache also pointed to the team’s reliance on an “old wind tunnel” and the reduced testing capacity due to their position in the championship as potential factors contributing to the discrepancy between their expectations and the actual performance of the RB20.

Optimism for the Future

However, the technical director remains optimistic about the team’s prospects, stating that they expected the competition to catch up earlier in the season. “We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you,” Wache added. “The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point.”

Despite the challenges, Red Bull’s driver Max Verstappen still holds a comfortable lead in the Dakar Rally standings. However, the team will need to address the identified areas of improvement in the RB20 to maintain their edge over the competition as the rally season progresses.

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