Jos Verstappen’s warning about Red Bull falling apart has come true

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Red Bull continues to lose more and more key figures this year, as Gianpiero Lambiase becomes the latest to move on.

The highly respected engineer is set to join McLaren, but not until after the 2027 season unless an early release is negotiated. He’ll be replacing Gavin Ward, who left for another position within the organisation.

Unlike most of the other exits at Red Bull this year, Lambiase’s departure may have wider consequences. Verstappen has previously hinted he might leave if his race engineer ever moved on.

Jos Verstappen had warned that Red Bull could fall apart

Not long after Adrian Newey stepped down in the spring of 2024, Verstappen spoke openly about his worries regarding the growing list of departures and what it meant for stability at Red Bull.

“The team is in danger of falling apart,” he said. “I was already afraid of that earlier this year. It is important for internal peace that the key figures remain on board. That is not the case now.”

Verstappen Sr didn’t have a great relationship with Christian Horner, which may explain why he voiced his concerns from outside the organisation. Still, even if he saw it coming, the current state of things doesn’t offer much comfort, especially considering how it could affect his son’s future.

Before Newey’s exit, influential aerodynamicist Rob Marshall had already left. Jonathan Wheatley (Audi) and Will Courtenay (McLaren) then announced their departures in back-to-back months later in 2024.

Horner was dismissed by Red Bull last July, followed by Helmut Marko at year’s end. But despite these high-profile changes at the top, there hasn’t been any slowdown in staff turnover.

Chief designer Craig Skinner left just weeks before Lambiase’s move became public. On top of that, multiple mechanics have reportedly moved on, and Verstappen has seen most of his core engineering team depart as well.