McLaren is reportedly looking to bring back Gianpiero Lambiase sooner than expected. Red Bull is already preparing his replacement for Max Verstappen with Tom Hart.
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The departure of Gianpiero Lambiase from Red Bull could happen much sooner than expected. While Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer is supposed to join McLaren by 2028 at the latest, the Woking team has reportedly started discussions with Red Bull to accelerate his arrival.
Such a decision could hasten the split between Verstappen and one of his closest collaborators. Lambiase has accompanied the Dutchman during his years of dominance and simultaneously held the position of Head of Race Operations at Red Bull. But the Milton Keynes team is already actively preparing for the post-Lambiase era.
McLaren does not want to wait a year
Lambiase’s arrival at McLaren was confirmed earlier this year. At Woking, he is to become the Director of Race Operations and work under Andrea Stella. The exact date of his start remained dependent on the conditions of his departure from Red Bull.
According to De Telegraaf, McLaren is now looking to shorten the period during which Lambiase would be forced to stay away from Formula 1 before joining his new team. The British team does not want to see its future recruit spend an entire year without activity.
Zak Brown is said to have opened discussions directly with Laurent Mekies to find an agreement allowing Lambiase to start his new role earlier. The current trend would now be a definitive departure from Red Bull before the start of the 2027 season.
Verstappen is already preparing his new engineer
Red Bull does not seem to be waiting for the outcome of these negotiations to organize his succession. Tom Hart is set to become Verstappen’s permanent race engineer from next season and his integration with the four-time world champion has already begun.
Hart had a first trial alongside Verstappen during a free practice session in Monza. This experience is not expected to be isolated since Red Bull now plans to give him more responsibilities before the end of the season.
According to RacingNews365, Hart is expected to take full charge of three Grand Prix weekends in 2026. Austin, São Paulo, and Las Vegas are the three events chosen to gradually prepare the handover.
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This transition means Verstappen could already compete in up to three weekends without Lambiase by his side even before the definitive split between the two men. Red Bull would thus have several full-scale rehearsals before officially entrusting the position to Hart.
A historic collaboration soon ending
Lambiase’s departure represents a significant change in Verstappen’s immediate environment. Beyond his role in the management structure, the engineer has become over the years one of the most recognizable voices on the Dutchman’s radio.
The two men have built a particularly direct relationship, sometimes marked by tense exchanges, but also by considerable trust. Lambiase has especially accompanied Verstappen throughout his victorious campaigns and has an in-depth knowledge of his race management.
His replacement is therefore not simply about changing the person responsible for radio communications. Hart will also have to learn to interpret Verstappen’s requests, manage situations under pressure, and gradually build the same trust with his driver.
Red Bull has already replaced Lambiase in its management
The reorganization goes beyond Verstappen’s garage alone. Red Bull recently confirmed the arrival of Tom McCullough as Head of Race Operations, a role Lambiase held alongside his engineer duties.
The Briton comes from Aston Martin and directly takes a place in the new structure set up around Laurent Mekies. Red Bull has therefore already found the two elements of its succession: McCullough for its management responsibilities and Hart for his daily work with Verstappen.
It now remains to be determined when Lambiase will actually be released from his obligations. His arrival at McLaren was initially planned by 2028 at the latest, but ongoing discussions could significantly shorten this timeline.
McLaren is therefore pushing to bring back one of the most important men of the Verstappen era much earlier than expected. While Zak Brown is negotiating directly with Laurent Mekies, Red Bull is accelerating its own transition: Tom Hart is already preparing to become the Dutchman’s new race engineer and is expected to take charge of his garage at three Grands Prix before the end of the season.
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