GianPiero Lambiase to leave Red Bull as McLaren move confirmed for 2028 – round-up
GP Lambiase was the talk of the Formula 1 world on Thursday, with a big announcement over his future.
If you somehow missed any F1 news from Thursday, GianPiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer, was the talk of the town.
We had you covered throughout the news of what comes next for him, alongside news out of Formula 2, and our breakdown of another team’s season so far.
GianPiero Lambiase to leave Red Bull for McLaren
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It has emerged that Red Bull’s head of racing and Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, GianPiero Lambiase, will be heading to McLaren, with Red Bull having officially confirmed he will leave the team when his contract expires in 2028.
Initial reports from Dutch media were confirmed by PlanetF1.com in what is a seismic move in the paddock not just for ‘GP’ himself, but that it is set to end one of the most successful driver-engineer combinations in Formula 1 history.
Verstappen has had Lambiase there in support since his first race at Red Bull in 2016, and while their dynamic has been likened to that of an “old married couple”, their time as a partnership at Red Bull will end.
Read more: GianPiero Lambiase set for McLaren switch as Max Verstappen era faces long-term change
McLaren announces Lambiase arrival ‘no later than 2028’
On Thursday afternoon, Red Bull confirmed Lambiase would be leaving the team upon expiry of his current contract, and that was soon followed by McLaren announcing his future arrival ‘no later than 2028’.
This will be in the title of Chief Racing Officer, a position put in place to alleviate team principal, Andrea Stella, of some of the additional duties he carries throughout the team.
McLaren said in a statement: “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.”
Read more: GianPiero Lambiase McLaren role revealed as Red Bull exit confirmed
What impact could ‘GP’ leaving have on Max Verstappen?
With Verstappen and Lambiase having formed such a formidable partnership at Red Bull, Verstappen even said in the past that he cannot envision himself with anyone else being his race engineer.
While the four-time World Champion is contracted to Red Bull through to 2028, the PlanetF1.com gathered to discuss the wider implications of Lambiase’s future departure.
‘GP’ is the third major behind-the-scenes signing made by McLaren from Red Bull in recent years, so questions were naturally raised about whether the driver would eventually look to follow suit.
Read more: GianPiero Lambiase McLaren move raises fresh questions over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future
Five of the best Max-GP exchanges
Known for their sometimes spiky, sarcastic messages to each other on team radio, that “old married couple” dynamic has yielded some team radio favourites over the years.
From not just the euphoria of race and title wins, the more mundane messages have sometimes proven fan favourites at different times.
Originally collated in early 2025, we’ve updated some of the best back-and-forths between the duo from Verstappen’s time at Red Bull.
Read more: Ranked: Five memorable radio exchanges between Max Verstappen and GianPiero Lambiase
Haas quietly impressing as best-ever start equalled
To end away from Red Bull, Haas has managed to equal its best-ever start to a Formula 1 season in the first three races, having clocked 18 points.
Ollie Bearman is responsible for 17 of them, and with work ongoing behind the scenes to bring its infrastructure closer to that of other teams, alongside the support Toyota is offering, Haas appears to be on an upward trajectory.
We break down Haas’ full campaign so far, and what we might be able to expect in the future.
Read more: Haas building on record start as Oliver Bearman leads early 2026 charge
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