Red Bull faces "awkward" Gianpiero Lambiase dilemma ahead of McLaren move, says David Coulthard
TL;DR
Red Bull may place Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase on gardening leave as he prepares to join McLaren in 2028. David Coulthard highlights the dilemma of protecting sensitive car developments during this transition.
Key points
- Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving Red Bull for McLaren in 2028.
- David Coulthard discusses the implications of this move.
- Red Bull may need to protect sensitive data during the transition.
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Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard believes Red Bull will inevitably be forced to place Max Verstappen's departing race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase on gardening leave to protect highly sensitive future car developments.
Lambiase, affectionately known as GP, has signed to join McLaren in 2028 as chief racing officer. While the move will come when his current contract with Red Bull expires, Coulthard questioned why the Milton Keynes outfit would keep Lambiase in his role through 2027.
"He's still got a contract with Red Bull. We expect him to still continue in that contract," Coulthard said on the Up To Speed podcast. "But of course, one of the tricky moments for Red Bull is, he can't walk out of the factory with a laptop with all the data at the end of the year, but what's in your mind, you're allowed to take with you.
"So, there'll be a point where they're going to want to say, 'Look, you can't really be working on this car, or you certainly can't be across any of the discussions about developments going into 2027 and beyond.' So, that becomes an awkward scenario."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, David Coulthard
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, David Coulthard
Drawing on his own experience when he was leaving Williams for McLaren at the end of 1995, the Scotsman added:Â "And I've been there as a driver. At the end of 1995, I'd already signed to join McLaren, and you still go about the race weekend in a normal fashion.
"But I wasn't allowed to go into certain areas in the factory when I went to Williams, understandably so, because I'm moving to another team. So it just starts to erode the relationship and make it a little bit of a compromise.
"So what McLaren, I'm sure, would be hoping is that Red Bull would release GP early from his contract, release the obligation to pay his salary and allow him to join McLaren early. But on the other side, why would they want to do anything that gives your competitors an advantage?"
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Q&A
Why is Gianpiero Lambiase's move to McLaren significant for Red Bull?
Lambiase's transition to McLaren could lead to sensitive information about Red Bull's car developments being at risk if he remains in his role until 2027.
What did David Coulthard say about Lambiase's contract with Red Bull?
Coulthard noted that Lambiase still has a contract with Red Bull and will likely continue in his role until it expires, raising concerns about data security.
When will Gianpiero Lambiase officially join McLaren?
Lambiase is set to join McLaren as chief racing officer in 2028, after his current contract with Red Bull ends.
