Untelevised team radio footage from the Chinese Grand Prix has revealed the moment GianPiero Lambiase reminded Red Bull driver Max Verstappen \u201cI\u2019m supposed to be on your side.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes after another frustrating weekend for the four-time world champion in Shanghai, where Verstappen suffered his first retirement since June 2025.<\/p>\n
Untelevised Max Verstappen team radio emerges after Chinese Grand Prix<\/p>\n
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Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Mercedes\u2019 dominance continued in China as Kimi Antonelli led a one-two finish ahead of teammate George Russell.<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton completed the podium by securing his first podium finish for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc completing the top four.<\/p>\n Red Bull had a troubled weekend in China as Verstappen qualified a second off Antonelli\u2019s time for pole position on Saturday before retiring in the closing stages of Sunday\u2019s race.<\/p>\n Analysis: Chinese Grand Prix<\/p>\n Chinese GP conclusions: Verstappen sabbatical fear, mixed Hamilton feelings, McLaren Powertrains<\/a><\/p>\n Winners and losers from the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix<\/a><\/p>\n An ERS cooling issue was later confirmed as the cause of Verstappen\u2019s early exit as he recorded his first DNF since last year\u2019s Austrian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Verstappen reiterated his criticism of the F1 2026 rules after the race, branding the new regulations \u201cfundamentally flawed.\u201d<\/p>\n PlanetF1.com revealed last week how Verstappen aired his frustration with the new cars over team radio<\/a> during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.<\/p>\n And untelevised footage from the Chinese Grand Prix has unearthed more mid-race frustrations with Verstappen\u2019s long-serving race engineer Lambiase at one stage telling the four-time world champion: \u201cI am supposed to be on your side, Max. I\u2019m trying to give you some help and some information.\u201d<\/p>\n As in Melbourne, Verstappen found himself frustrated by the requirements of the 2026 cars in terms of energy management over the course of the race.<\/p>\n The first sign of annoyance came on Lap 20 when he remarked: \u201cMate, my f**king boost button.\u201d<\/p>\n On Lap 26, Lambiase instructed Verstappen to increase his use of the lift-and-coast technique on the approach to corners in order to help charge the battery. The exchange went as follows:<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cSo increase your lift off. Just try and get that battery up, Max.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cSo this is my normal deployment?\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cThis is standard deployment for no overtake moments.\u201d<\/p>\n A further instruction arrived on the following lap when Verstappen was told to focus on lift-and-coast at the first corner and Turn 14, the hairpin at the end of the long back straight.<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cMax, we increase the lift off by around 50 metres Turn 14 and Turn 1, please.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cEasy on the brake pedal as well into those two corners.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen reported an issue with the steering wheel on Lap 29, but was reassured by Lambiase that his pace was holding up.<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cThe steering wheel feels heavier and heavier.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cOK, standby Max.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cPace is reasonable, Max, keep your head down. Not bad.\u201d<\/p>\n On Lap 34, there was a moment of confusion as Lambiase appeared to indicate that Verstappen was losing a full second to the leaders at Turns 7 and 8, the high-speed, sweeping bends in the second sector.<\/p>\n He went on to clarify that those turns were responsible for most of Verstappen\u2019s time loss in that sector of the lap.<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cReduce tyre management, please, Max, Turn 7 and Turn 8. Reduce tyre management. Giving away a second now to the leaders just in those three [sic] corners.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cWait, 7 and 8? One second?\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cNo, it\u2019s the sector [where you\u2019re giving away a] second, but it\u2019s predominantly those three corners.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase then reminded Verstappen \u201cI am supposed to be on your side\u201d when informing the four-time world champion of further time losses at Turn 6 on Laps 35 and 36.<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cMy tyres are [inaudible]. I just can\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cMax, our main loss to car ahead and car behind is actually braking and exit of Turn 6.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cCheck my onboard.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cI am supposed to be on your side, Max. I\u2019m trying to give you some help and some information. Nothing further, mate. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cDo I even need to lift in 6 or not?\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cLift not required Turn 6.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cDoing half of the race lifting, why [inaudible]?\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cI still need to lift in 1 and 14?\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cYes, please. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen was told to retire on Lap 44 after the discovery of what Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies<\/a> described as a \u201ccoolant fault.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cNo, this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cOK, Max, let\u2019s retire the car, please. Retire the car.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cAnything that I need to press?\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen: \u201cI need to box somewhere or get back to the pits.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase: \u201cLet\u2019s crawl it back home.\u201d<\/p>\n After warning Verstappen about oncoming cars on his slow lap back to the pits, Lambiase added when the RB22 returned to the pits: \u201cHard luck, sorry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n