Key Max Verstappen ally Lambiase left emotional after the end of Red Bull’s reign

Emotions ran high for Gianpiero Lambiase in the immediate aftermath of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Max Verstappen missed out on a fifth successive title by two points.

Verstappen’s race engineer, Lambiase was left in tears post-race as his driver said farewell to the World title that he initial won back in 2021.

Emotions overcome GP Lambiase after Max Verstappen championship defeat

Red Bull ended the F1 2025 season in style with an eighth win of the year for Max Verstappen.

Locked in a title fight with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri heading into the season finale, the Dutchman did all he could but ultimately came up short of pulling off an incredible championship comeback.

On pit wall, Lambiase was overcome by the situation.

At the end of a punishing 24-race calendar, in a year that has witnessed significant upheaval within Red Bull, Lambiase appeared to break into tears.

The 2025 campaign has been especially difficult for the superstar engineer. At the start of this season, he was promoted to Red Bull’s Head of Racing, a role he filled alongside his duties engineering Verstappen.

Over the course of the campaign, he missed two events, in Austria and Belgium, where Simone Rennie deputised in his place.

Though yet to be confirmed, Lambiase’s reaction has suggested that his role is set for change amid claims he could become far more factory-based.

Verstappen praised Lambiase in his post-race comments, and branded him more than just his race engineer.

“It’s been an emotional year,” Verstappen said following his Abu Dhabi win.

“Forget about the results this year. I also don’t want to go too much into detail, but it’s been tough.

“But I’m very happy to be able to work with someone that passionate.

“Of course, he is my race engineer, but I see him as my friend.

“We have lived through so many emotional things together and fantastic achievements.

“I’m sure he was a bit emotional after the flag. So, I’m really looking forward to leaving here and catching up with him because it’s not been easy at times for him.

“I’m just very proud to be able to work with someone that good.

“A proper example of someone that never gave up this season, even through the difficult times.”

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Beyond Lambiase, there’s further uncertainty at Red Bull with Helmut Marko’s future also far from clear.

One of the foundation members of the Red Bull team, the 82-year-old hinted that his time with the squad may be drawing to a close.

It has been suggested tension within the camp has been growing for some time, with Marko’s comments regarding Kimi Antonelli following the Qatar Grand Prix, for which Red Bull felt necessary to apologise for after they triggered a torrent of abuse against the young Italian, thought to be a key moment.

Well-placed sources have indicated that a succession plan for Marko’s departure or retirement from the team has been evaluated for several months, with prominent names such as Sebastian Vettel and Gerhard Berger tentatively mooted as possibilities.

Such a move, together with a change in role for Lambiase, would be the latest in a series of significant changes at the Milton Keynes-based operation after shedding veteran team principal Christian Horner in the days following the British Grand Prix.

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