Jos Verstappen has revealed that he has known \u201cfor a while\u201d that GianPiero Lambiase is heading to McLaren, with Max Verstappen\u2019s camp encouraging him to \u201cgrab it with both hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
And he has tipped the Red Bull driver to \u201cjust carry on\u201d without Lambiase despite the four-time world champion previously warning that he would retire if he ever split from his long-serving race engineer.<\/p>\n
Jos Verstappen expects Max Verstappen to \u2018just carry on\u2019 after GP Lambiase exit<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n McLaren announced the signing of Lambiase on Thursday following months of uncertainty surrounding the 45-year-old\u2019s future.<\/p>\n PlanetF1.com understands that Lambiase was approached by Aston Martin<\/a> before opting to join McLaren as the team\u2019s new chief racing officer.<\/p>\n In a statement provided to PlanetF1.com, McLaren said that Lambiase will arrive in Woking \u201cno later\u201d than 2028 when his Red Bull contract is due to expire.<\/p>\n Go deeper: GianPiero Lambiase swaps Red Bull for McLaren<\/p>\n GianPiero Lambiase McLaren move raises fresh questions over Max Verstappen\u2019s Red Bull future<\/a><\/p>\n Ranked: Five memorable radio exchanges between Max Verstappen and GianPiero Lambiase<\/a><\/p>\n Verstappen and Lambiase have established a firm friendship since the pair started working together at Red Bull a decade ago.<\/p>\n After winning his first race for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen went on to dominate F1 by winning four consecutive world championships between 2021 and 2024.<\/p>\n The news of Lambiase\u2019s departure comes at a time Verstappen has been openly questioning his F1 future, admitting at the recent Japanese Grand Prix that his unhappiness with the F1 2026 regulations could drive him away from the sport.<\/p>\n Verstappen previously commented after his maiden title-winning season that he would \u201cstop\u201d if he were ever parted from Lambiase, telling Dutch media: \u201cI have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen Sr has revealed that the driver\u2019s camp have been aware of Lambiase\u2019s impending switch to McLaren for some time, with the Verstappens encouraging him to take \u201ca huge opportunity\u201d with Red Bull\u2019s rivals.<\/p>\n He told RaceXpress: \u201cWe\u2019ve known about it for a while and we also knew when it was going to happen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got another year and a half or two years to work with him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a huge opportunity for him and we understand that. We\u2019ve also told him: you have to go for it and grab it with both hands.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s up to Red Bull to find his replacement. We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen Sr went on to address concerns that Lambiase\u2019s exit could help decide his son\u2019s F1 future, airing his belief that the Red Bull driver will just carry on.<\/p>\n Put to him that his son had previously warned that Lambiase\u2019s departure would spell the end for him, Verstappen Sr replied: \u201cI think things have changed.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially after four championships, you\u2019ve achieved a lot together.<\/p>\n \u201cThe final decision is up to Max, but I think he\u2019ll just carry on.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen Sr\u2019s comments come after Zak Brown, the McLaren chief executive, welcomed the signing of Lambiase<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reports on Thursday had claimed that Lambiase had been lined up by McLaren as a potential successor to Andrea Stella, who has been linked with a return to Ferrari.<\/p>\n However, PlanetF1.com understands that Stella\u2019s role remains unchanged and that a switch to Maranello is not on the cards, with Lambiase set to report directly to Stella when he joins McLaren.<\/p>\n Brown wrote on social media: \u201cHappy to share that GianPiero Lambiase will join the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team as Chief Racing Officer, reporting into Team Principal Andrea Stella, when his contract ends no later than 2028.<\/p>\n \u201cHe joins an incredible team under Andrea\u2019s leadership and I\u2019m excited about what we can achieve together.\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