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Max Verstappen’s F1 future even more in doubt after Gianpiero Lambiase shock
The bombshell reports that Max Verstappen’s right-hand man Gianpiero Lambiase is set to leave Red Bull for McLaren have cast a further spotlight on the Dutchman’s F1 career. Amid his quit threats over unhappiness at F1’s new rules, it is perhaps Lambiase’s departure that leaves the biggest doubt on Verstappen’s career…
The news that Max Verstappen’s long-serving race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is to leave Red Bull and join McLaren, has sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 paddock.
On Thursday morning, reports in Dutch media, including De Limburger and De Telegraaf, claimed that Lambiase will complete a shock switch to McLaren in 2028 once his existing Red Bull contract expires at the end of next year.
It is important to stress that nothing has been officially confirmed at this stage, nor has Red Bull or McLaren commented on the matter. However, the claims have been widely reported and backed up by sources with knowledge of the situation.
Here’s what the bombshell news could mean for all parties involved…
What next for Max Verstappen?
The immediate question on everybody’s lips is what does this mean for Verstappen’s future.
Lambiase is Verstappen’s right-hand man and has engineered the Dutchman throughout his Red Bull stint from being fast-tracked into the team four races into the 2016 season, to becoming four-time world champions together.
Verstappen and Lambiase have formed an incredibly close bond throughout their years working together, building an iconic driver-engineer partnership.
Some disagreements and moments of tension during team radio exchanges have led many to compare Verstappen and Lambiase’s relationship to that of a marriage. But it is a partnership that has been hugely successful and bettered only in modern times by Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington at Mercedes.
Verstappen has praised the clear and straightforward communication from Lambiase, who he considers as a central pillar to his on-track triumphs.
Lambiase’s looming departure comes at a pivotal moment in Verstappen’s F1 career.
The 28-year-old Dutchman, who is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, is already considering walking away from F1 at the end of the year due to his dissatisfaction with the new regulations in 2026.
Whether Verstappen was already aware of Lambiase’s impending exit, or if it has blindsided him, remains unclear at this stage. We should find out more when Verstappen next speaks to the media when F1 returns at the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May.
These were already set to be a crucial few weeks for Verstappen as he weighs up his options amid suggestions he could sensationally retire from F1.
Either way, this marks a significant blow for Verstappen, who has lost several close allies at Red Bull in recent years.
Top advisor and close friend Helmut Marko departed at the end of 2025, while sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, chief mechanic Matt Caller and Verstappen’s long-serving front end mechanic Ole Schack, have either departed or are about to.
Add to this Verstappen’s displeasure with the new rules, and the poor start made by Red Bull in 2026, and it feels as though the four-time world champion is closer than ever to quitting F1.
What it means for McLaren’s future
By securing Lambiase’s signature, McLaren is strengthening an already formidable organisation.
Lambiase was linked with both Aston Martin and Williams and is understood to have turned down an offer from the former to become its new team principal in order to join McLaren. McLaren won the battle for Lambiase’s services by offering him a lucrative salary and senior position that is set to see him become head of race engineering.
The 45-year-old Briton will take on some of team principal Andrea Stella’s duties to relieve the strain on the Italian, enabling him more freedom to focus on his leadership responsibilities.
According to some reports, McLaren is anticipating that Stella could join Ferrari. A return to Ferrari as its team principal would have obvious appeal for the 55-year-old Italian, who started at Maranello as an engineer back in 2000, before later serving as race engineer to Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.
Last summer Fred Vasseur was handed a new multi-year contract to continue as Ferrari’s team principal, but the exact length of the deal has not been made public. If Vasseur cannot lead Ferrari to championship success in the coming years, the Scuderia could turn to Stella, who has strengthened his already respected reputation by ending McLaren’s own long-standing title droughts.
Even if these reports turn out to be incorrect and Stella remains in situ, the move to capture Lambiase represents smart long-term succession-planning by McLaren.
It is also a play that could open the door for a new destination for Verstappen. Might he be tempted to jump ship and join a McLaren team that has won three of the last four world championships on offer?
Where does Red Bull go from here?
From the outside, Red Bull appears to be falling apart.
Lambiase leaving would mark the latest high-profile figure to go, following the likes of Christian Horner, who was sacked last July, design legend Adrian Newey, who joined Aston Martin, Wheatley, Marko, chief designer Rob Marshall and chief strategist Will Courtenay.
Like Lambiase, Marshall and Courtenay both swapped Milton Keynes for Woking.
Laurent Mekies has done a brilliant job to steady the ship since being thrust into the helm as Horner’s replacement, but the cracks are nevertheless on display. Red Bull is enduring tough times since being knocked off its F1 pedestal by McLaren at the end of 2024.
After poor results amid a lacklustre start to its new Ford partnership in 2026, the spotlight is only intensifying on Red Bull, who currently sit sixth in the constructors’ championship with only 16 points after the opening three races.
Pressure is reportedly mounting on Red Bull’s technical team led by Pierre Wache as they battle to address the chassis and weight issues plaguing the RB22 that have left Verstappen and Isack Hadjar increasingly frustrated.
Should Verstappen leave, either to quit F1 for good, or join a rival team, Red Bull would be left in a real mess. Given its current competitiveness, or lack of, finding a replacement of Verstappen’s calibre would be extremely difficult.
These are alarming and worrying times for Red Bull.
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The bombshell reports that Max Verstappen’s right-hand man Gianpiero Lambiase is set to leave Red Bull for McLaren have cast a further spotlight on the Dutchman’s F1 career. Amid his quit threats over unhappiness at F1’s new rules, it is perhaps Lambiase’s departure that leaves the biggest doubt on Verstappen’s career…
The news that Max Verstappen’s long-serving race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is to leave Red Bull and join McLaren, has sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 paddock.
On Thursday morning, reports in Dutch media, including De Limburger and De Telegraaf, claimed that Lambiase will complete a shock switch to McLaren in 2028 once his existing Red Bull contract expires at the end of next year.
It is important to stress that nothing has been officially confirmed at this stage, nor has Red Bull or McLaren commented on the matter. However, the claims have been widely reported and backed up by sources with knowledge of the situation.
Here’s what the bombshell news could mean for all parties involved…
What next for Max Verstappen?
The immediate question on everybody’s lips is what does this mean for Verstappen’s future.
Lambiase is Verstappen’s right-hand man and has engineered the Dutchman throughout his Red Bull stint from being fast-tracked into the team four races into the 2016 season, to becoming four-time world champions together.
Verstappen and Lambiase have formed an incredibly close bond throughout their years working together, building an iconic driver-engineer partnership.
Some disagreements and moments of tension during team radio exchanges have led many to compare Verstappen and Lambiase’s relationship to that of a marriage. But it is a partnership that has been hugely successful and bettered only in modern times by Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington at Mercedes.
Verstappen has praised the clear and straightforward communication from Lambiase, who he considers as a central pillar to his on-track triumphs.
Lambiase’s looming departure comes at a pivotal moment in Verstappen’s F1 career.
The 28-year-old Dutchman, who is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, is already considering walking away from F1 at the end of the year due to his dissatisfaction with the new regulations in 2026.
Whether Verstappen was already aware of Lambiase’s impending exit, or if it has blindsided him, remains unclear at this stage. We should find out more when Verstappen next speaks to the media when F1 returns at the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May.
These were already set to be a crucial few weeks for Verstappen as he weighs up his options amid suggestions he could sensationally retire from F1.
Either way, this marks a significant blow for Verstappen, who has lost several close allies at Red Bull in recent years.
Top advisor and close friend Helmut Marko departed at the end of 2025, while sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, chief mechanic Matt Caller and Verstappen’s long-serving front end mechanic Ole Schack, have either departed or are about to.
Add to this Verstappen’s displeasure with the new rules, and the poor start made by Red Bull in 2026, and it feels as though the four-time world champion is closer than ever to quitting F1.
What it means for McLaren’s future
By securing Lambiase’s signature, McLaren is strengthening an already formidable organisation.
Lambiase was linked with both Aston Martin and Williams and is understood to have turned down an offer from the former to become its new team principal in order to join McLaren. McLaren won the battle for Lambiase’s services by offering him a lucrative salary and senior position that is set to see him become head of race engineering.
The 45-year-old Briton will take on some of team principal Andrea Stella’s duties to relieve the strain on the Italian, enabling him more freedom to focus on his leadership responsibilities.
According to some reports, McLaren is anticipating that Stella could join Ferrari. A return to Ferrari as its team principal would have obvious appeal for the 55-year-old Italian, who started at Maranello as an engineer back in 2000, before later serving as race engineer to Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.
Last summer Fred Vasseur was handed a new multi-year contract to continue as Ferrari’s team principal, but the exact length of the deal has not been made public. If Vasseur cannot lead Ferrari to championship success in the coming years, the Scuderia could turn to Stella, who has strengthened his already respected reputation by ending McLaren’s own long-standing title droughts.
Even if these reports turn out to be incorrect and Stella remains in situ, the move to capture Lambiase represents smart long-term succession-planning by McLaren.
It is also a play that could open the door for a new destination for Verstappen. Might he be tempted to jump ship and join a McLaren team that has won three of the last four world championships on offer?
Where does Red Bull go from here?
From the outside, Red Bull appears to be falling apart.
Lambiase leaving would mark the latest high-profile figure to go, following the likes of Christian Horner, who was sacked last July, design legend Adrian Newey, who joined Aston Martin, Wheatley, Marko, chief designer Rob Marshall and chief strategist Will Courtenay.
Like Lambiase, Marshall and Courtenay both swapped Milton Keynes for Woking.
Laurent Mekies has done a brilliant job to steady the ship since being thrust into the helm as Horner’s replacement, but the cracks are nevertheless on display. Red Bull is enduring tough times since being knocked off its F1 pedestal by McLaren at the end of 2024.
After poor results amid a lacklustre start to its new Ford partnership in 2026, the spotlight is only intensifying on Red Bull, who currently sit sixth in the constructors’ championship with only 16 points after the opening three races.
Pressure is reportedly mounting on Red Bull’s technical team led by Pierre Wache as they battle to address the chassis and weight issues plaguing the RB22 that have left Verstappen and Isack Hadjar increasingly frustrated.
Should Verstappen leave, either to quit F1 for good, or join a rival team, Red Bull would be left in a real mess. Given its current competitiveness, or lack of, finding a replacement of Verstappen’s calibre would be extremely difficult.
These are alarming and worrying times for Red Bull.
The news that Max Verstappen’s long-serving race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is to leave Red Bull and join McLaren, has sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 paddock.
On Thursday morning, reports in Dutch media, including De Limburger and De Telegraaf, claimed that Lambiase will complete a shock switch to McLaren in 2028 once his existing Red Bull contract expires at the end of next year.
It is important to stress that nothing has been officially confirmed at this stage, nor has Red Bull or McLaren commented on the matter. However, the claims have been widely reported and backed up by sources with knowledge of the situation.
Here’s what the bombshell news could mean for all parties involved…
What next for Max Verstappen?
The immediate question on everybody’s lips is what does this mean for Verstappen’s future.
Lambiase is Verstappen’s right-hand man and has engineered the Dutchman throughout his Red Bull stint from being fast-tracked into the team four races into the 2016 season, to becoming four-time world champions together.
Verstappen and Lambiase have formed an incredibly close bond throughout their years working together, building an iconic driver-engineer partnership.
Some disagreements and moments of tension during team radio exchanges have led many to compare Verstappen and Lambiase’s relationship to that of a marriage. But it is a partnership that has been hugely successful and bettered only in modern times by Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington at Mercedes.
Verstappen has praised the clear and straightforward communication from Lambiase, who he considers as a central pillar to his on-track triumphs.
Lambiase’s looming departure comes at a pivotal moment in Verstappen’s F1 career.
The 28-year-old Dutchman, who is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, is already considering walking away from F1 at the end of the year due to his dissatisfaction with the new regulations in 2026.
Whether Verstappen was already aware of Lambiase’s impending exit, or if it has blindsided him, remains unclear at this stage. We should find out more when Verstappen next speaks to the media when F1 returns at the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May.
These were already set to be a crucial few weeks for Verstappen as he weighs up his options amid suggestions he could sensationally retire from F1.
Either way, this marks a significant blow for Verstappen, who has lost several close allies at Red Bull in recent years.
Top advisor and close friend Helmut Marko departed at the end of 2025, while sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, chief mechanic Matt Caller and Verstappen’s long-serving front end mechanic Ole Schack, have either departed or are about to.
Add to this Verstappen’s displeasure with the new rules, and the poor start made by Red Bull in 2026, and it feels as though the four-time world champion is closer than ever to quitting F1.
What it means for McLaren’s future
By securing Lambiase’s signature, McLaren is strengthening an already formidable organisation.
Lambiase was linked with both Aston Martin and Williams and is understood to have turned down an offer from the former to become its new team principal in order to join McLaren. McLaren won the battle for Lambiase’s services by offering him a lucrative salary and senior position that is set to see him become head of race engineering.
The 45-year-old Briton will take on some of team principal Andrea Stella’s duties to relieve the strain on the Italian, enabling him more freedom to focus on his leadership responsibilities.
According to some reports, McLaren is anticipating that Stella could join Ferrari. A return to Ferrari as its team principal would have obvious appeal for the 55-year-old Italian, who started at Maranello as an engineer back in 2000, before later serving as race engineer to Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.
Last summer Fred Vasseur was handed a new multi-year contract to continue as Ferrari’s team principal, but the exact length of the deal has not been made public. If Vasseur cannot lead Ferrari to championship success in the coming years, the Scuderia could turn to Stella, who has strengthened his already respected reputation by ending McLaren’s own long-standing title droughts.
Even if these reports turn out to be incorrect and Stella remains in situ, the move to capture Lambiase represents smart long-term succession-planning by McLaren.
It is also a play that could open the door for a new destination for Verstappen. Might he be tempted to jump ship and join a McLaren team that has won three of the last four world championships on offer?
Where does Red Bull go from here?
From the outside, Red Bull appears to be falling apart.
Lambiase leaving would mark the latest high-profile figure to go, following the likes of Christian Horner, who was sacked last July, design legend Adrian Newey, who joined Aston Martin, Wheatley, Marko, chief designer Rob Marshall and chief strategist Will Courtenay.
Like Lambiase, Marshall and Courtenay both swapped Milton Keynes for Woking.
Laurent Mekies has done a brilliant job to steady the ship since being thrust into the helm as Horner’s replacement, but the cracks are nevertheless on display. Red Bull is enduring tough times since being knocked off its F1 pedestal by McLaren at the end of 2024.
After poor results amid a lacklustre start to its new Ford partnership in 2026, the spotlight is only intensifying on Red Bull, who currently sit sixth in the constructors’ championship with only 16 points after the opening three races.
Pressure is reportedly mounting on Red Bull’s technical team led by Pierre Wache as they battle to address the chassis and weight issues plaguing the RB22 that have left Verstappen and Isack Hadjar increasingly frustrated.
Should Verstappen leave, either to quit F1 for good, or join a rival team, Red Bull would be left in a real mess. Given its current competitiveness, or lack of, finding a replacement of Verstappen’s calibre would be extremely difficult.
These are alarming and worrying times for Red Bull.
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