In a true bombshell move, Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is set to switch from Red Bull Racing to McLaren from 2028.
Lambiase has worked at Red Bull since 2015, where he initially served as race engineer to Daniil Kvyat. Following Kvyat’s high-profile seat swap with Max Verstappen in early 2016, he then took over as the Dutchman’s race engineer.
The partnership between Verstappen and Lambiase has been a true success story by every measure. With Lambiase’s guidance, Verstappen has grown from a sometimes impetuous wunderkind to the four-time world champion he is today.
Verstappen’s relationship with Lambiase has undoubtedly been a central factor in his success. The rapport between the pair is frequently heard over team radio during races, and has produced some highly memorable quotes. In moments of importance however, Lambiase has proved uniquely able to get Verstappen to focus, with his no-nonsense communication standing out markedly compared to some of his contemporaries. This talent for management also led Red Bull to promote him to Head of Racing in 2022.
Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Despite his success and closeness with Verstappen at Red Bull, Lambiase’s position at the team has been in doubt recently. In late 2025 he missed several races for personal reasons, and was visibly emotional at the conclusion of the season. A period of speculation followed during the off-season, with Aston Martin (the team where, as Jordan, he started his Formula 1 career in 2005) purportedly offering him the role of team principal.
These rumours seemed to have blown over by the start of the 2026 season, making news of McLaren’s interest particularly shocking. If the deal is confirmed, Lambiase will be the latest in a string of key staff members that the Woking team have poached from Red Bull recently. This list notably also includes McLaren’s current technical director Rob Marshall, who previously worked at Red Bull for 17 years.
Stella Future Also Uncertain
Lambiase’s rumoured appointment has also sparked speculation about the future of McLaren’s current team principal Andrea Stella. Ferrari have reportedly shown interest in the Italian, who previously worked for the Scuderia from 2000 to 2014. By recruiting Lambiase, McLaren appear to have bought themselves an insurance policy should Stella leave the team. In such an eventuality, Lambiase may take over the team principal role outright.
Image Credit: McLaren Racing
It remains to be seen however if or when either of these moves will be made official. Both McLaren and Red Bull have as yet been unavailable for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool