Formula 1 may not be racing in April, but the news that Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer and Red Bull’s head of racing, has agreed to join McLaren has become one of the sport’s biggest stories of 2026.
What is happening with Lambiase?
Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer since 2016, has signed to become McLaren’s chief racing officer in 2028. Though rumours had circulated that his long-term future might lie away from Red Bull — with Aston Martin reportedly interested in making him team principal — McLaren’s announcement on Thursday still surprised many. His Red Bull contract runs to 2028, and McLaren say they expect him to join the Woking team no later than two seasons from now.
At McLaren, Lambiase will take on duties currently covered by team principal Andrea Stella, freeing Stella to focus more on broader leadership responsibilities. McLaren’s technical group already includes former Red Bull staff such as Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, and Lambiase will add further race-operation expertise to an organisation that has recently enjoyed significant success.
What does it mean for Max Verstappen?
Verstappen has previously said he would stop racing in F1 when Lambiase leaves, so this move is the clearest signal yet that the four-time world champion could quit the sport within the next few years. Verstappen remains under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but Sky Sports understands performance clauses could allow an earlier departure. Red Bull’s early-season struggles in 2026 would make such an exit feasible if Verstappen chooses it.
Verstappen has also been outspoken about his dissatisfaction with the 2026 regulations. While changes might be introduced soon — possibly as early as the Miami race — it remains unclear whether tweaks would be enough to change his mind. Meanwhile, Verstappen has begun competing in GT3 and will race the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May, suggesting he may already be exploring alternative motorsport pursuits.
Expect Verstappen to face questions about his future on media day before the Miami Grand Prix and whether he will stick to his stated intention not to race without Lambiase in his ear.
What does it mean for McLaren?
McLaren have added one of modern F1’s most respected engineers to a team that has rebuilt strongly in recent seasons. Rob Marshall, who left Red Bull for McLaren in 2024, helped the team to successive constructors’ titles and Lando Norris’ 2025 drivers’ crown; Courtenay serves as sporting director. Lambiase will bolster race operations and relieve some weekend responsibilities from Stella, who was involved in the decision to hire him and is understood to have a long-term contract at McLaren. Reports that Lambiase is being groomed to replace Stella are incorrect; Stella remains in place and content at the team.
McLaren’s leadership under CEO Zak Brown and Stella has cultivated a championship-winning culture that appears to have attracted Lambiase. His arrival further strengthens McLaren’s technical and operational bench and cements the team’s recent ascent.
What does it mean for Red Bull?
For Red Bull, Lambiase’s impending exit is another high-profile departure from senior ranks, adding to a significant turnover since late 2023. The team has already lost chief engineering officer Rob Marshall and head of race strategy Will Courtenay to McLaren, chief technical officer Adrian Newey to Aston Martin, and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Audi. Team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko also left their roles last year.
Lambiase’s responsibilities extended beyond weekend race engineering — he became head of race engineering in 2022 and head of racing at the end of 2024 — so Red Bull will need to plan who will assume those broader duties in the long term. For now, the team has confirmed Lambiase will continue in his dual role until he leaves in 2028.
The departures pose a strategic choice for Red Bull’s new leadership: attempt to poach high-calibre talent from rivals or promote promising in-house engineers. With Verstappen’s future already under a cloud even before this move, Red Bull executives Laurent Mekies and Oliver Mintzlaff will be under pressure to retain and recruit key people to stabilise the team in the post-Horner era.
Looking ahead
Lambiase’s move reshapes the personnel landscape in F1’s top teams and raises immediate questions about driver loyalties and team stability. It strengthens McLaren’s operational leadership while deepening Red Bull’s talent gap at a sensitive moment. Formula 1 returns May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix.