Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase caused quite the stir after announcing he will be leaving Red Bull Racing once his current contract ends in 2027, and will join McLaren by 2028.
This news might mean that Dutch-Belgian racing driver Max might follow his loyal race engineer and join McLaren with him. Although his contract with Red Bull extends till 2028, there are exit clauses which can allow him to leave early.
Max Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase have worked together since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, when the racing diver had joined the team. They went on to forge a unique driver-engineer bond over the years.
When Max had won his first ever F1 drivers' title in 2021, he reflected on his relationship with Gianpiero and had said, "I have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too. Of course, we can be pretty strict with each other sometimes, but I want that too. He has to tell me when I'm being a jerk and I have to tell him. I always told him that."
The race engineer was appointed the head of racing at Red Bull in the beginning of 2025. However, he had been considering a change for some time now. According to F1's Lawrence Barretto, World Champions McLaren offered him the position of Chief Racing Officer, and it was an offer difficult to turn down.
Max had also been contemplating his future and he and his team even had a chat with Mercedes in 2025 for a potential move. However, the 28-year-old racing driver decided to stay back at Red Bull for 2026.
Many believe that Max will follow Gianpiero, given their years of collaboration and strong partnership. At Red Bull, together they won four World Championships and 71 Grands Prix. If they choose to separate, it will surely be an end to a great chapter.
Red Bull is definitely going through a tough time, given the departure of several important people including boss Christian Horner, Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley, Max Verstappen’s chief mechanic Matt Caller, Motorsport Adviser Helmut Marko, among others.
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