‘Go for it’ – Jos Verstappen reveals surprise influence in Lambiase to McLaren move
Max Verstappen is the son of former F1 driver Jos
Jos Verstappen has revealed that he has known “for a while” that GianPiero Lambiase is heading to McLaren, with Max Verstappen’s camp encouraging him to “grab it with both hands.”
And he has tipped the Red Bull driver to “just carry on” without Lambiase despite the four-time world champion previously warning that he would retire if he ever split from his long-serving race engineer.
Jos Verstappen expects Max Verstappen to ‘just carry on’ after GP Lambiase exit
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McLaren announced the signing of Lambiase on Thursday following months of uncertainty surrounding the 45-year-old’s future.
PlanetF1.com understands that Lambiase was approached by Aston Martin before opting to join McLaren as the team’s new chief racing officer.
In a statement provided to PlanetF1.com, McLaren said that Lambiase will arrive in Woking “no later” than 2028 when his Red Bull contract is due to expire.
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Verstappen and Lambiase have established a firm friendship since the pair started working together at Red Bull a decade ago.
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.
The news of Lambiase’s 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.
Verstappen previously commented after his maiden title-winning season that he would “stop” if he were ever parted from Lambiase, telling Dutch media: “I have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too.”
Verstappen Sr has revealed that the driver’s camp have been aware of Lambiase’s impending switch to McLaren for some time, with the Verstappens encouraging him to take “a huge opportunity” with Red Bull’s rivals.
He told RaceXpress: “We’ve known about it for a while and we also knew when it was going to happen.
“We’ve got another year and a half or two years to work with him.
“It’s a huge opportunity for him and we understand that. We’ve also told him: you have to go for it and grab it with both hands.
“It’s up to Red Bull to find his replacement. We’ll see.”
Verstappen Sr went on to address concerns that Lambiase’s exit could help decide his son’s F1 future, airing his belief that the Red Bull driver will just carry on.
Put to him that his son had previously warned that Lambiase’s departure would spell the end for him, Verstappen Sr replied: “I think things have changed.
“Especially after four championships, you’ve achieved a lot together.
“The final decision is up to Max, but I think he’ll just carry on.”
Verstappen Sr’s comments come after Zak Brown, the McLaren chief executive, welcomed the signing of Lambiase.
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.
However, PlanetF1.com understands that Stella’s 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.
Brown wrote on social media: “Happy 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.
“He joins an incredible team under Andrea’s leadership and I’m excited about what we can achieve together.”
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