Gianpiero Lambiase is set to leave Red Bull and join McLaren in 2028, after the team’s CEO Zak Brown said he was “disappointed” by the engineer’s radio messages to Max Verstappen during the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix.
Lambiase is expected to replace Andrea Stella as McLaren’s team principal in 2028. Stella, who previously worked for Ferrari from 2000 to 2014, is understood to have agreed terms to return there in the near future.
Red Bull are reportedly holding Lambiase to his contract through 2027 before allowing him to move into a period of gardening leave. In the meantime, it appears that Stella has already signed a pre-contract with Ferrari.
Lambiase joined Red Bull in 2015 as Daniil Kvyat’s race engineer and later became an integral part of Max Verstappen’s setup from 2016 onward. His presence on the pit wall has been a staple for Verstappen ever since.
Zak Brown ‘disappointed’ by Gianpiero Lambiase’s radio approach during 2024 Austrian Grand Prix
Lambiase’s management of Verstappen over the radio, especially when the Dutchman was frustrated, didn’t sit well with McLaren CEO Brown during the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. The title fight was just starting to heat up at that point, and Brown felt Verstappen’s complaints about Norris were going unchallenged.
Brown felt Verstappen was driving dangerously in defense, suggesting the stewards missed chances to intervene. He also believed Red Bull should have stepped in via their race engineer to help cool things down. “Until someone tells Max that that’s against the regulations, he’s not going to know any different,” Brown told ESPN.
“So, I think there were missed opportunities for the stewards to make note.
“[I was] also disappointed that such a great team like Red Bull, that the leadership almost encourages it, because you listen on the radio and what was said.”
“We all have a responsibility on [the] pit wall to tell our drivers the dos and don’ts and what is going on in the race. I think we need to have respect in the regulations.”
What exactly did Gianpiero Lambiase say to Max Verstappen that frustrated Zak Brown?
Lambiase’s handling of the situation didn’t sit well with Brown, as the engineer seemed to side with Verstappen’s view that Norris was in the wrong. Even when Norris complained about Verstappen’s defensive moves, Lambiase backed his driver, telling him to stay focused and suggesting Norris was off track limits.
Lambiase also told Verstappen to keep his “head down,” and questioned how Norris felt he’d been pushed off. He also dismissed a late but clean lunge from Norris as “not clever,” even though it was a fair move by the McLaren driver.
The situation came to a head when the two drivers collided at Turn 3 on Lap 64. Verstappen moved under braking again, reacting to Norris’s attempt on the outside, and their contact ended up taking Norris out of the race completely.
Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for causing the collision with Norris during the 2024 Austrian GP. However, it didn’t change much for him in terms of points. Damage had already dropped him down from third place, but even after serving his penalty he still finished sixth with more than enough gap behind him.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
