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Max Verstappen supports Gianpiero Lambiase's move to McLaren, stating he would be 'stupid' not to accept the opportunity. Lambiase had previously discussed his departure from Red Bull with Verstappen.
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Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen says he fully backs race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase's future move to McLaren and says Lambiase had discussed his Red Bull exit with him before agreeing to it.
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Last week, McLaren announced it had snapped up Lambiase for the role of chief racing officer, supporting team principal Andrea Stella on race weekends. Lambiase is expected to make the move by the start of 2028 at the latest, pending any deal to pry the British engineer loose from Red Bull Racing before the end of his current contract.
That means that if Verstappen sees out his current Red Bull deal, which expires at the end of 2028, he is set to lose his long-time ally as his race engineer. But amid suggestions the prospect of losing Lambiase could further influence Verstappen's thinking on his F1 future, with the Dutchman disillusioned with the 2026 technical regulations, he says he fully backs Lambiase's promotion to a more senior role within the F1 paddock.
“We’ve spoken about it, and when he told me what the opportunity was, I said: you’d be stupid not to take it," Verstappen said at a Viaplay event in Amsterdam. “It’s an incredible opportunity for him, not just in terms of the role but also for his future. You have to think about your family and long-term security as well.”
Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving Red Bull for McLaren to pursue new opportunities, which he discussed with Max Verstappen before making the decision.
Max Verstappen expressed strong support for Lambiase's move, stating he would be 'stupid' not to take the opportunity.
Lambiase's departure may create a significant gap in Red Bull's engineering team, requiring them to find a suitable replacement to maintain their competitive edge.

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Verstappen revealed Lambiase had first sought his approval before committing to the career move. “He told me he wanted to hear it from me,” Verstappen said. “I said: 100%, you should just go for it.”
Max Verstappen en Gianpiero Lambiase deelden alle successen van de Nederlander bij Red Bull.
The Dutchman insisted his strong bond with Lambiase wouldn't change over the remainder of their time together at Red Bull, forging a lasting friendship through the many high and lows of their partnership.
“We’ve already achieved everything together, and more than once. We’ve won a lot. That won’t change," he said. “We’re both still young. You never know what happens in the future. Maybe we’ll work together again.
“We’ll be friends for life. Everyone has their own goals and ambitions. You can’t hold someone back. In the end everybody needs to grow. Everyone has their own goals in life.”
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