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Max Verstappen commented on Gianpiero Lambiase's move from Red Bull to McLaren, where Lambiase will become Chief Racing Officer in 2028.
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Max Verstappen has spoken about Gianpiero Lambiaseās decision to leave Red Bull for McLaren in 2028.
Just last week, Formula 1 fans were caught off guard by the news that Lambiase would be joining McLaren in 2028.
The 45-year-old will step into the role of Chief Racing Officer, reporting directly to team principal Andrea Stella.
Lambiaseās switch has only added to the uncertainty surrounding Verstappenās own future with Red Bull.
Speaking at an event in Amsterdam on Thursday, Verstappen was asked about Lambiaseās decision to join McLaren. He said:
According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Verstappen explained how the move came about and what was discussed.
The 26-year-old shared that Lambiase had told him about the offer and wanted his backing before making a final decision. Verstappen responded that it was an opportunity too good to pass up, especially given what theyād already achieved together.
The Dutchman said: āHe told me what kind of offer he got. I said youād be stupid not to do that. We have already achieved everything together.
āAnd then he gets such a great offer, also with an eye to his family and the security he gets from it.
āHe asked me for some kind of permission, and I told him to be 100% sure. He wanted to hear that from my mouth.ā
Lambiaseās departure also includes a period of gardening leave, meaning he wonāt take up his new role until January 2028. In the meantime, Verstappen will have a new race engineer in Tom Hart, who steps up after several years within Red Bullās technical setup.
Max Verstappen shared his thoughts on Gianpiero Lambiase's decision to leave Red Bull for McLaren, although specific details of his comments were not provided.
Gianpiero Lambiase is set to join McLaren in 2028 as their Chief Racing Officer.
He will take on the role of Chief Racing Officer, reporting directly to team principal Andrea Stella.

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Lambiase is due to join McLaren in 2028, but some believe Red Bull should move on sooner rather than later.
Speaking on the RacingNews365 Podcast, Dutch driver Tom Coronel suggested that Red Bull might want to act quickly and replace Lambiase to avoid him taking valuable information to their rivals.
āMy gut feeling tells me the sooner you do these kinds of things, the better it is for the whole situation,ā he said. āBecause then, you will part ways sooner, you are going to speed up the process. So this could go faster than you think.
āAs a team, you donāt want him to have all the information because you are going to find out so many new things. I mean, why would you make someone better if he is going to a competitor?ā
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