Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, will leave Red Bull at the end of next year to join McLaren, it has been reported.
Lambiase is under contract at Red Bull until the end of next year, but when that deal is up, he will join Red Bull’s rivals. Verstappen has worked with the Englishman since he joined from Toro Rosso in 2016, so the impending move naturally raises further questions about his future.
In another hugely significant development, De Telegraaf say Lambiase’s arrival at McLaren is connected to the expected departure of team principal Andrea Stella in the near future. Stella is being linked to his old team Ferrari.
Another key figure to leave Red Bull
Red Bull’s Gianpiero Lambiase has reportedly decided to leave the team and join McLaren at the end of next year, marking another big change for Red Bull.
Lambiase turned down a chance to lead Aston Martin during the off-season and was also linked with Williams. After being promoted to head of racing at Red Bull, he made it clear he wouldn’t be serving as a race engineer for anyone else.
The reasons behind his decision to move are still unclear, but salary appears to be one factor. According to De Telegraaf, he’s set to earn significantly more at McLaren, highlighting how much value teams see in him across the paddock.
Lambiase will join up again with Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, who have both recently moved from Red Bull to McLaren. It’s part of a larger pattern that’s starting to worry some inside the organisation.
And with reports suggesting technical director Pierre Wache is also under pressure, there may well be more changes on the way.
Gianpiero Lambiase linked to McLaren move amid Andrea Stella exit rumours
Lambiase holds a senior position within Red Bull and, considering the uncertainty surrounding Stella’s future, it seems plausible he could be lined up as McLaren’s next team principal in 2028 under Zak Brown’s leadership.
In making that choice, McLaren would have passed over internal options in favour of bringing in one of F1’s most respected engineers. During his time at Red Bull, Lambiase won four world titles alongside Verstappen.
If Stella remains in place, there could be room for both within the team structure. Still, reports linking him back to Ferrari will not go unnoticed by Fred Vasseur, who only recently signed a new contract amid earlier speculation about a possible change at the top.
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