Red Bull Makes Feelings Clear on McLaren’s Lambiase Signing

Red Bull’s key race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, made a shocking move, joining McLaren in a major promotion.

For a good part of the 2024 season and the 2025 season, Red Bull and McLaren have been battling for titles at the top of the sport.

However, both teams have taken a back seat to Mercedes, which is off to a torrid start.

Nevertheless, McLaren swung a major coup in April, taking Lamiasek, who has been Max Verstappen’s lead engineer.

Nov 21, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) celebrates his victory with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lambiase, according to officials, will be with Red Bull until the end of the 2027 season, meaning there will be two years until he signs on.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies assured that the team is happy to have him stay on and understands his response to taking the job.

“He has had an extraordinary opportunity. We respect the fact that this opportunity comes once in a lifetime,” Mekies told Sky Sports

“As much as it has been news for you guys, it’s something we have been discussing with him for a very long time and we only wish him well in that next phase.

“We will, when the time comes, make sure we turn that into an opportunity for our people and for the skill set we want to have.”

Verstappen’s opinion on Lambiase’s departure

Max Verstappen shared a similar outlook on his close friend and teammate joining McLaren and leaving his side.

“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,” Verstappen said.

“He told me he wanted to hear it from me, I said ‘100% you should just go for it’. We’ve already achieved everything together and more than once. We’ve won a lot, that won’t change.