Stories about Gianpiero Lambiase eventually leaving Red Bull are not new. During the 2025 Formula 1 season, interest from several teams including Aston Martin and Williams came to light.
In Abu Dhabi, various Red Bull team members clarified that such a move was not yet on the cards, but that his exact responsibilities would be discussed during the winter – partly linked to personal circumstances.
Later in the winter break, the team provided an update stating that his role would remain fully intact for this F1 season, meaning Max Verstappen could still rely on his right-hand man – as he is often called in the paddock – as race engineer and Red Bull’s head of racing.
Red Bull has consistently emphasised that Lambiase would not leave for another team before the end of his current contract – 2027 – and that remains the case now that the news about McLaren has come through.
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Why McLaren is a more logical destination than other teams
For Red Bull, Lambiase’s upcoming departure is a significant loss, but from the perspective of all other parties involved, it is a completely logical move. If the widely praised engineer wants to take on a new challenge, then McLaren appears a more logical destination than the previously mentioned teams.
In recent years the Woking-based team has proven to be a more stable environment than, for example, Aston Martin. At the Silverstone-based squad Lambiase had the opportunity to become team principal, but all the positional changes in recent years do not necessarily point to the stability required – something Lawrence Stroll’s team will hopefully aim for when it eventually brings in Jonathan Wheatley.
Lambiase had other options, but ultimately chose McLaren for 2028
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Williams, under the leadership of James Vowles, is clearly working towards that stability, but compared to McLaren that organisation still has other steps to take, not least in terms of facilities and infrastructure.
Earlier this year, when the team missed the Barcelona shakedown, Vowles openly acknowledged that there is structural work to be done, whereas McLaren has proven to be the benchmark in many of those areas – particularly in-season development.
McLaren thinking smartly ahead and weakening the competition
The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf initially reported that Lambiase is intended to be the successor to Stella should the latter potentially move to Ferrari, but sources at both teams have firmly denied that claim. It should be noted, however, that denying it is the only logical or even possible response at this stage, if only to avoid unrest. Any other reaction is simply not possible.
“It is certainly a significant loss in value, but a team like this is broadly positioned. One has to ensure that a young person is found in good time who can step into this role” Helmut Marko
In any case, Lambiase joining, as chief racing officer it has been confirmed, is attractive for both sides. Even if Stella remains in place for 2028 and beyond, Lambiase would still be handed a substantial package of responsibilities, much like the package he gradually built up at Red Bull over time.
It is a major advantage he brings with him. Because of his background and immense experience, Lambiase is broadly deployable, meaning McLaren gains a valuable asset on multiple fronts. And should the Woking team ever need a team principal, the man with the ideal profile will already have signed.
The whole situation highlights two aspects McLaren has repeatedly shown in recent years: thinking smartly ahead, while simultaneously weakening the competition. The second element is probably a side effect of the first one, but still significant. The way McLaren thinks ahead is part of its successful leadership strategy: not becoming overly dependent on one individual and building a leadership structure capable of absorbing change, one that is prepared for the future in different scenarios.
This is the third senior staff member that McLaren has signed from Red Bull in recent years – Rob Marshall pictured above being another
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Secondly, McLaren has dealt some blows to the competition in recent years by doing exactly that – not least Red Bull. After technical figurehead Rob Marshall and former head of strategy Will Courtenay, Lambiase is the third notable acquisition, meaning Red Bull’s successful structure of recent years has inevitably undergone significant change – aside from the dismissal of Christian Horner and the departure of Helmut Marko.
The knife cuts both ways for the reigning constructors’ champion. Its own foundations are strengthened, while it removes part of the foundation beneath a rival. It is therefore logical that Red Bull makes McLaren wait as long as possible for its new recruits, as happened with Courtenay when his gardening leave period – unlike Wheatley’s – was not shortened.
What does this mean for Verstappen and Red Bull’s future?
Lambiase’s upcoming departure will in any case mark the end of an era, the era of the married couple, Verstappen-Lambiase, as Marko often described them in the paddock. The Austrian used those same words again on Thursday in his reaction to the news.
“It was like an old married couple; those two had their discussions and disputes as well,” Marko told German news agency APA. “But GP, as we call him, was a very essential factor in vehicle development and car set-up. He also went his own way at times, not always in agreement with the rest of the technical crew.
“It is certainly a significant loss in value, but a team like this is broadly positioned. One has to ensure that a young person is found in good time who can step into this role.”
That, however, is easier said than done, partly because Lambiase is so versatile and his role as head of racing extends beyond Verstappen’s side of the garage. Promoting a race engineer is one thing – and that already happened last year due to personal circumstances – but replacing the entire package seems far more difficult.
Where does this all leave Red Bull? A team that has dropped into the midfield this year
Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
Lambiase’s departure is also quickly being linked to Verstappen’s future, but it can better be viewed the other way around. Because Verstappen has indicated that he has “life decisions” to make, and has often said he does not intend to remain in F1 until he is 40, Lambiase cannot build his entire future around the Dutchman – at least not at Red Bull. It is therefore logical that he seriously considers other offers, particularly if they are financially attractive.
For Verstappen, the primary question remains what he wants to do after this season, and this news does not fundamentally change that. The very first – and most important – question remains whether he wants to continue in F1 beyond this year, and that logically depends on the regulations. He has already accepted that no fundamental changes can be made this season – despite ongoing discussions between teams and the FIA – but hopes for “bigger changes” in 2027. The extent to which that does or does not happen will be important for his choices.
The question of where he would drive is secondary and subordinate to that. That said, Verstappen knows the current state of Red Bull. The departure of team members is one thing, but the competitive picture, especially on the chassis side, is another. As Verstappen himself indicated in Japan, the new power unit appears reasonably competitive – perhaps even surprisingly competitive for a newcomer – but the rest is not yet where he wants it to be.
Red Bull once again has big shoes to fill. Given all the other departures in recent years that is not a new challenge for the team, but this particular move might not be an easy one to absorb
And so Red Bull, as team boss Laurent Mekies acknowledged, has a great deal of work to do. If it wants to retain Verstappen, it must once again demonstrate that it can turn a difficult situation around. Last year it managed to do exactly that and Verstappen – regardless of the clauses in his contract – remained loyal, but inevitably, this year the question will once again be on the table.
The first question, however, remains whether Verstappen wants to stay in F1, and only he can answer that. Should he remain, doors can always open for a four-time world champion at other teams, but everything surrounding that is speculative and irrelevant at this stage. The ball regarding his future was already in Verstappen’s court, and that remains unchanged.
In conclusion, the whole situation mainly highlights two things. First, that McLaren – regardless of what Stella may do longer term – has once again thought smartly ahead, and second, that Red Bull once again has big shoes to fill. Given all the other departures in recent years that is not a new challenge for the team, but this particular move might not be an easy one to absorb.
Red Bull may still yet lose its most important figure in the coming years
Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
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