F1 may not be holding a race in April, but the news that Max Verstappen’s race engineer Giampiero Lambiase has agreed to join McLaren brings one of the biggest news in F1 so far in 2026.
So what do we know about this move and the ramifications for the two teams involved, including, importantly, Red Bull’s four-time world champion driver?
What does the future hold for Lambiase?
Red Bull’s Lambiase, who has been Verstappen’s race engineer since 2016 and the team’s race director, will join McLaren in 2028.
Speculation had been swirling since late last year that Lambiase’s long-term future was likely to be away from Red Bull anyway, with Aston Martin understood to have shelled out big bucks to make him team principal, but the emergence of the McLaren news on Thursday was still a surprise.
Lambius will become McLaren’s chief racing officer, a role currently held by team principal Andrea Stella. Lambiase’s arrival will allow Stella to devote more time to other aspects of his wider leadership role with the Woking team.
Max Verstappen and Giampiero Lambiase are one of F1’s most legendary driver and engineer duos
Lambiase’s contract with Red Bull runs until 2028 and a specific date for the 45-year-old’s move has not yet been announced, but McLaren said it expects to welcome him to the team “by the next two seasons at the latest”.
What does that mean for Max Verstappen’s future?
This news may be the clearest indication that the Dutchman will be leaving F1 within the next few years, given that Verstappen has previously said in interviews that he intends to stop racing in F1 if Lambiase leaves.
Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but Sky Sports News understands there is a performance clause that could allow him to leave the club early. Given Red Bull’s struggles so far this season, Verstappen could be in a position to withdraw if he so chooses.
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A look back at Max Verstappen’s disappointing start to the 2026 F1 season.
Some may see Lambiase’s sudden move to McLaren as Verstappen effectively agreeing with his race engineer that he is leaving F1, and that Lambiase should think about his career and that the 45-year-old has chosen McLaren.
Verstappen has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the new 2026 regulations. Adjustments could be made as early as the next F1 race in Miami, but will it be enough for Verstappen to stay?
The four-time world champion has already competed in GT3 races and will take part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May. It will likely be the first of several big motorsport adventures he has set his sights on.
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Sky Sports’ Craig Slater talks about whether Max Verstappen could quit F1 amid concerns over regulations.
As for his F1 career, Verstappen will no doubt have plenty to answer at media day ahead of the Miami Grand Prix about his future and whether he will keep his word that he won’t race without Ranbias.
What does it mean for McLaren?
McLaren has signed one of F1’s top modern engineers, adding to its already strong organization. There are actually two former Red Bull members in that organization, Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay.
Marshall left Red Bull for McLaren in 2024 and played a pivotal role in the team’s second consecutive constructors’ title and Lando Norris’ world championship in 2025.
Courtenay is McLaren’s sporting director, and Lambius will be able to provide extra support with race operations, taking some of that responsibility away from team principal Stella and allowing him to focus on broader aspects of leadership.
McLaren chiefs Andrea Stella and Zac Brown have formed a strong technical team
There were early reports suggesting Lambiase was being hired as Stella’s successor, but Sky Sports News understands that Lambiase is not going anywhere and remains in long-term contact with McLaren, adding that rumors of Lambiase returning to Ferrari are untrue. In fact, Stella has been involved in contract negotiations with Llambias and remains happy with McLaren.
McLaren is becoming a superteam in its structure and Llambias is clearly impressed by the championship-winning culture that CEO Zac Brown and Stella have created.
What does that mean for Red Bull?
For Red Bull, the impending departure of Lambiase’s well-regarded figure marks another significant departure from the team’s leadership.
Managing personnel changes is inevitable for F1 teams, but the number of senior public staff who have left Red Bull in the past two years remains particularly notable, especially after long periods of success and stability such as Ferrari in the mid-2000s and Mercedes in recent years.
Since the end of 2023, when the team won all but one of 22 races in its most recent constructors’ title-winning season, Red Bull has seen chief engineering officer Marshall and head of race strategy Courtenay join McLaren, chief technical officer and legendary designer Adrian Newey join Aston Martin, and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley also left for Audi.
Team principal Christian Horner and long-time Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko also abruptly stepped down from their respective roles last year.
Lambiase’s role at Red Bull involves much more than race engineering Verstappen on race weekends – he was appointed head of race engineering in 2022 and head of race at the end of 2024 – so Red Bull will now need to consider who will ultimately take on these important roles in the long term.
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Max Verstappen says his Red Bull is very difficult to drive, and Jacques Villeneuve thinks it’s because of its unpredictability.
For now, Red Bull has confirmed that Lambiase will continue in his role until he leaves the club in 2028.
Given the brain drain from senior roles over the past two years, will Red Bull, famous for signing big contracts like Newey in the years before becoming F1’s front-line outfit, feel the need to go on the offensive to poach key players from rivals, or will it continue to rely on promoting internal talent?
Given that star driver Verstappen’s future was already in doubt even before the news of Lambiase’s transfer broke, team principal Laurent Mequise and Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff will no doubt be keen to buck the recent trend of losing key personnel to rivals as they look to build new teams for future success in the post-Horner era.
F1 will resume with the second sprint weekend of the season, the Miami Grand Prix, from May 1-3, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
