Summary
Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer and Red Bull’s head of racing, has agreed to join McLaren as chief racing officer in 2028, with McLaren expecting him to arrive within two seasons. The move reverberates across Formula 1: it strengthens McLaren’s operational leadership, deepens Red Bull’s experience gap and increases uncertainty around Verstappen’s future.
What happened
Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer since 2016 and holder of expanded roles at Red Bull — head of race engineering from 2022 and head of racing from late 2024 — has signed with McLaren. His existing Red Bull contract runs through 2028, but McLaren says he will join them no later than two seasons from now and will take over duties currently handled by team principal Andrea Stella. McLaren already employs former Red Bull staff such as Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay; Lambiase adds further race-operation expertise to a team that has recently converted on-track gains into championships.
Implications for Max Verstappen
Verstappen has previously said he would stop racing in F1 if Lambiase left, making this the clearest signal yet that the four-time world champion could exit within a few years. Verstappen is under contract to the end of 2028, but performance-related clauses might allow for an earlier departure, and Red Bull’s early 2026 struggles could make that feasible. His public dissatisfaction with the 2026 regulations, coupled with his recent excursions into GT3 and a planned entry in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, suggest he may already be considering other motorsport paths. Expect questions about his plans during media day ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
What it means for McLaren
McLaren has added a highly respected engineer to a team that has rebuilt itself into a championship contender. Lambiase will relieve weekend race-operation duties from Andrea Stella, allowing Stella to concentrate on wider leadership responsibilities; McLaren has denied claims that Lambiase is being groomed to replace Stella. Lambiase’s arrival further deepens McLaren’s technical and operational bench and complements other ex-Red Bull hires who’ve helped the team convert performance into titles.
What it means for Red Bull
Lambiase’s move is another high-profile loss in a string of senior departures that have reshaped Red Bull’s leadership group — including Rob Marshall, Will Courtenay, Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, plus the earlier exits of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. Lambiase’s responsibilities went beyond race weekends, so Red Bull must plan who takes on those broader duties. The team has said he will continue in his dual roles until his departure in 2028. Meanwhile, new leaders Laurent Mekies and Oliver Mintzlaff face the choice of recruiting top talent from rivals or promoting from within to stabilise operations.
Looking ahead
The signing changes the personnel map at the top of F1 and raises immediate questions about driver loyalties, team stability and recruitment strategy. McLaren’s operational strength is bolstered; Red Bull must manage a gap at a sensitive time. Formula 1 returns for the Miami Grand Prix on May 1–3, where the story and its repercussions are likely to be prominent talking points.