GianPiero Lambiase to join McLaren from Red Bull
Max Verstappen's race engineer will join McLaren when his current Red Bull contract ends at the end of the 2027 season.
In a massive shock announcement, it's been confirmed that Gianpirero Lambiase will leave Red Bull after his current contract ends in 2027 having been with the team since 2015. GP, as he's often referred to as, has been an instrumental part of Verstappen's success at Red Bull, having served as his race engineer since the Dutchman was promoted from Torro Rosso in 2016. And since 2025, he has also served as Red Bull Head of Race Engineering, the third highest ranking position in the team. It comes after not that long ago Lambiase rejected an offer from Aston Martin to become their Team Principal. Lambiase is the next of many big departures Red Bull have had over the last few years. He joins: Rob Marshall, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, Will Courtenay, Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and more in leaving the team. He'll join Marshall and Courtenay at McLaren.
The move will add more to the possibility of Verstappen leaving Formula 1 in the next few years. The 2 have spent Verstappen's entire Red Bull career together, often described as acting like a 'married couple' with their bluntness over team radio. After his success in the 2021 championship battle, Verstappen said he would no longer drive in F1 if Lambiase was not his engineer. And with Verstappen already unhappy with the 2026 regulations, could GP's departure be the final push he needs to leave Formula 1?
Lambiase will become Chief Racing Officer for McLaren when he joins, a role currently fulfilled by Team Principal Andrea Stella. There were rumours Stella could leave McLaren for Ferrari, however McLaren's announcement has put those rumours to rest for now. With Lambiase reporting to Stella, who will be able to put more focus into other duties with Lambiase's appointment.
The full statement from McLaren read: "McLaren Racing is pleased to announce that GianPiero Lambiase will join the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team as Chief Racing Officer, reporting to Team Principal, Andrea Stella.
The role of the Chief Racing Officer already exists within the team’s structure, with overall leadership of the race team. These duties are currently managed by Andrea Stella in addition to his role as Team Principal.
Lambiase is the latest hire designed to strengthen and support the talent pool that exists at McLaren Mastercard, while also reaffirming the team’s long-term commitment to confirming its position as a Championship-winning team.
The team’s ability to attract and secure top talent, like Lambiase, and previously Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, alongside the retention and promotion of highly-talented people already within the team, is a testament to the strategic vision and culture that are integrally embodied in the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, who are also both on long-term contracts.
The team look forward to welcoming GianPiero Lambiase when his existing contract ends, no later than 2028.
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