Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren in 2028, Sky Sports News reports, but will remain at Red Bull until he is released. The move could have major implications for Max Verstappen: the driver has previously said he would quit Formula 1 if Lambiase was no longer his race engineer.
Lambiase has been Verstappen’s sole race engineer since the driver arrived at Red Bull in 2016. At McLaren he is expected to take the role of head of race engineering. Current team principal Andrea Stella is not believed to be affected by the appointment; Stella, who moved to McLaren from Ferrari in 2015 and became team principal in 2023, has led the team to consecutive constructors’ championships. People close to Stella dismiss suggestions he might return to Ferrari and say Lambiase’s arrival will free him to concentrate on broader team-principal responsibilities.
Sky Sports understands Lambiase turned down an approach from Aston Martin to become their team principal after holding discussions with McLaren. Both Red Bull and McLaren have declined to comment on the deal.
The announcement ramps up speculation about Verstappen’s future after he voiced criticism of F1’s 2026 rules package and, at the Japanese Grand Prix, said he was considering walking away from the sport at the end of the season despite a contract that runs until 2028.
Lambiase is the latest senior Red Bull engineer to move on to McLaren following technical director Rob Marshall in 2024 and sporting director Will Courtenay this year. Other high-profile departures from Red Bull in recent times include designer Adrian Newey, who joined Aston Martin last year, as well as Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko.
Those who know the Verstappen–Lambiase partnership describe it as close and candid. After Verstappen’s first title he said: “I have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too.” Their radio exchanges can sound confrontational to outsiders, but both insist that direct, no-nonsense communication suits them. Lambiase was promoted to Red Bull’s head of racing at the start of 2025 following Jonathan Wheatley’s exit, slotting beneath team principal Laurent Mekies and technical director Pierre Wache in the hierarchy while continuing his race-engineer duties. He has defended the team’s radio moments as not fully representative of private discussions and has praised Verstappen’s capacity to process information under pressure.
Sky Sports’ Nigel Chiu called the signing a big win for McLaren and a notable loss for Red Bull, and suggested it could further fuel questions about Verstappen’s long-term plans. Formula 1 returns to action with the Miami Grand Prix on May 1–3.