Red Bull has decided to ensure continuity in one of its most strategic positions by preparing the succession of GianPiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer for nearly a decade.
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The Milton Keynes team has confirmed that Tom Hart will eventually take over the pit wall as the new race engineer.
A choice that aligns with Red Bull’s desire to prioritize internal promotion at a time when several of its executives are being courted by competitors.
Williams close to recruiting Hart
This appointment is not a surprise. Max Verstappen had recently hinted that he already knew the identity of Lambiase’s future replacement, and his choice ultimately fell on Hart, with whom he has worked for several seasons.
Tom Hart’s transfer to Red Bull could, however, have never happened. According to several reports, the British engineer was indeed very close to joining Williams, where he was to become Alex Albon’s race engineer. Red Bull ultimately intervened before the deal was finalized and managed to convince Hart to stay in Milton Keynes.
This is an important victory for the Austrian team, which has faced numerous rumors in recent months regarding the departure of several key members of its technical department.
An already familiar face to the Verstappen clan
During the last Austrian Grand Prix, team principal Laurent Mekies had also hinted that several announced departures would ultimately not take place: “When I look at the names that have circulated in recent months, most are still in the garage. Some never wanted to leave, others changed their minds and are staying with us. “
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These remarks notably referred to Tom Hart (photo above), no stranger to the four-time world champion’s garage. For several years, he has held the position of Verstappen’s performance engineer, with whom he has built a close working relationship.
This season, his responsibilities have gradually been expanded so that he also works with both Red Bull cars, an evolution that now appears to be preparation for his future duties.
A guaranteed position, even without Verstappen
The exact timing of this promotion will, however, depend on GianPiero Lambiase’s actual departure. The latter will join McLaren in 2028 as Chief Racing Officer, after a period of gardening leave.
Tom Hart is thus expected to officially become Red Bull’s race engineer at the start of the 2027 season, while occasionally replacing Lambiase in certain races from the second half of this year. He has already completed a first rehearsal during a filming day at Silverstone with Isack Hadjar, where he held the role of race engineer.
Notably, Hart’s promotion would not depend on Max Verstappen’s future. If the Dutchman were to leave Red Bull in the coming years, Hart would retain his new role and simply become the race engineer for the driver who inherits one of the most coveted seats in Formula 1.
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