Gianpiero Lambiase set for stunning Red Bull exit, per reports

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi

Red Bull is facing another dramatic Formula 1 departure.

According to multiple reports engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, best known for his role as Max Verstappen’s race engineer, has agreed to join McLaren starting with the 2027 F1 season. While exact details are not yet known, it is believed that Lambiase will move into a role supporting current McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

In addition to being Verstappen’s race engineer, Lambiase is Red Bull’s head of race engineering.

Lambaise is just the latest key figure to depart Red Bull in recent years, starting with chief technical officer Adrian Newey, who left the team to take on a role with Aston Martin. Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley left the team as well, and was recently the team principal at Audi before stepping away a few weeks ago as rumors swirl about a move of his own to Aston Martin.

Red Bull also dismissed team principal Christian Horner in July of last year.

Beyond those departures, two other Red Bull senior leaders left for McLaren, with Rob Marshall joining the rival team as chief designer at the start of the 2024 campaign, and Will Courtenay vacating his role as Red Bull’s head of race strategy to become McLaren’s sporting director at the beginning of this calendar year.

Lambaise will become the third Red Bull leader to depart for McLaren since 2024.

Stella currently serves as McLaren’s team principal, but is also in effect the team’s technical director. According to BBC Sport, the plan is for Lambaise to “allow Stella more freedom to focus on the leadership aspects of his role.”

For years, Zak Brown has stressed having the right leaders in the right roles within the organization. When I spoke with the McLaren CEO during the team’s dramatic surge up the standings in 2023, he pointed to management restructures.

“But there’s a lot of great people at McLaren that have contributed to that,” said Brown to me in October of 2023. “We made a team principal change, and technical director and head of aero, which were effectively our three most senior positions within a racing team, and put Andrea Stella in charge.

“And what that enabled us to do was to restructure the team, empower the great talent that already existed within McLaren because I think the impressive part is the people that gave us the car at the start of the year are the same people that have given this fantastic race car that we have now.

“So we really weren’t set up for success and didn’t have the right leadership approach to getting the most out of our people, and that’s ultimately what’s changed back at the factory.”

Lambaise began working with Verstappen when the driver joined the team for the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, and together they produced four Drivers’ Championships.

As for Verstappen, the Lambaise reports come at a time where the four-time champion is already questioning his own future in the sport. Speaking after the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen talked about walking away from Formula 1, pointing to a lack of enjoyment due to the new technical regulations put in place ahead of this season.

“Privately I’m very happy. You also wait for 24 races,” said Verstappen to BBC Sport. “This time it’s 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?

“I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am. Because I also know that you can’t be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I’m very realistic in that and I’ve been there before. I’ve not only been winning in F1,” added Verstappen. “But at the same time when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn’t feel natural to a racing driver.

“Of course I try to adapt to it, but it’s not nice the way you have to race. It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do.

“And of course you can look at it and make a lot of money. Great. But at the end of the day it’s not about money any more because this has always been my passion.”

As for whether Verstappen would make a shocking move of his own, noted F1 journalist Erik van Haren is reporting on Thursday that Brown is “also keeping a close eye” on Verstappen’s situation, and by adding Lambaise he “has an extra ace up his sleeve.” McLaren currently has Lando Norris under contract through at least the end of 2027, and Oscar Piastri under contract through the end of 2028.

Verstappen’s current Red Bull deal runs until 2028.