A major move is brewing behind the scenes: Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is set to leave Red Bull to join McLaren.
Read more Laurent Mekies: Red Bull Racing will adopt «attack» mode to regain its rank
Gianpiero Lambiase, a central figure in Max Verstappen’s success in recent years, is about to turn a major page in his career. According to several consistent sources, including our colleagues at The Race, an agreement has reportedly been reached for him to join McLaren upon the expiration of his current contract with Red Bull, scheduled for 2028.
No official announcement has been made yet, either by Red Bull or McLaren, but the project is reportedly already structured internally. Lambiase is expected to join the Woking team in a management role, with the primary mission of supporting boss Andrea Stella.
His arrival responds to a structural evolution of Formula 1 teams, where the increasing complexity of operations makes it increasingly difficult for a team principal to supervise all track activities alone. In this context, McLaren wishes to strengthen its organization with an experienced profile capable of taking on part of the operational responsibilities during race weekends.
An early transfer is not ruled out, but it would depend on a potential agreement between Red Bull and McLaren.
A key relationship with Verstappen
This departure comes at a pivotal moment for Red Bull, but also for Max Verstappen. Lambiase and the Dutch driver have built a particularly close relationship over several seasons, contributing directly to their four world titles.
At the end of last season, Verstappen had also made a point of praising his engineer in an emotional context.
Read more The Nürburgring will return to Formula 1 to replace the Bahrain tests
“It’s been an emotionally charged year. You have to forget the results this season. I don’t want to go into details, but it’s been difficult. But I’m very happy to be able to work with someone so passionate.”
Lambiase’s planned departure is also part of a broader period of change around Verstappen, who has already seen several of his close collaborators leave or consider leaving the team in recent years.
A highly coveted market
Lambiase had been heavily courted for several months. Aston Martin had notably targeted him for a team principal role, while Williams was also among the interested structures.
McLaren finally took the lead by offering him a long-term strategic position, deemed more attractive.
This move confirms the British team’s desire to continue its organizational growth by attracting key profiles from Milton Keynes such as Rob Marshall (technical director) and Will Courtenay (strategist). This departure amplifies the hemorrhage affecting the Austrian team, marked by the recent departures of Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, Jonathan Weathley, chief designer Craig Skinner, chief mechanic Matt Caller on Max Verstappen’s car, and veteran Ole Schack.
This departure goes far beyond a simple change of position: by losing a pillar like Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull weakens both its internal organization and its most structuring link with Max Verstappen. In an already unstable context, this rupture could weigh concretely on the Dutchman’s choices and confirm the team’s entry into a deeper transition phase.
Read more Sergio Pérez’s father reveals his dream of becoming president of Mexico