Key member of Max Verstappen engineering team pushing for new Red Bull role

Oliver Harden
Max Verstappen looks stunned in conversation with a Red Bull engineer on the grid in Abu Dhabi

Max Verstappen has been a member of the Red Bull team since 2016

Max Verstappen could see a key member of his Red Bull engineering team replaced ahead of the F1 2025 season, PlanetF1.com understands, with race controls engineer Michael Manning pushing for a more senior role.

Verstappen has cemented his place alongside the greatest drivers in F1 history over recent years, winning the World Championship in each of the last four seasons.

Trusted Max Verstappen engineer keen on new Red Bull role

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

The Dutchman clinched his latest title in Las Vegas last month, becoming only the second driver in F1 history after Red Bull icon Sebastian Vettel to win each of his first four Championships in successive years.

Verstappen’s latest title triumph came despite suffering his longest barren run since the 2020 season, with the 27-year-old going 10 races without a win between the Spanish GP on June 23 and the Brazilian GP on November 3.

Red Bull’s loss of form came as a shock after Verstappen made a dominant start to the F1 2024 season, with McLaren claiming a first Constructors’ title in 26 years.

Go deeper: Understanding Max Verstappen

👉 Jos Verstappen: The F1 racer turned ruthless mentor behind Max Verstappen’s supreme F1 talent

👉 Revealed: The three rules introduced by the FIA because of Max Verstappen

Verstappen will be aiming to secure a fifth straight title in F1 2025, but could start next season without Manning on his side of the garage.

A report by Dutch publication De Telegraaf on Wednesday claimed that Manning – responsible for Verstappen’s race starts as his controls engineer – has signalled a desire to move to a more senior position, with the Irishman no longer wanting to attend every race.

PlanetF1.com understands that Manning is currently in line to be present at all but four races of the F1 2025 season and is keen on a move to a more sporting position.

Manning is regarded as a key member of Verstappen’s inner circle within the Red Bull team alongside race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, performance engineer Tom Hart and lead trackside power unit performance engineer David Mart.

Manning arrived at Red Bull in 2011 and previously worked with Vettel, who dominated F1 with the Milton Keynes-based team between 2010 and 2013.

PlanetF1.com revealed in September (bottom) that Lambiase is to be promoted to a new role for the F1 2025 season, taking on some of the responsibilities vacated by outgoing sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who was appointed the team principal of the new-look Audi F1 team for 2026 in July.

Lambiase will remain as Verstappen’s race engineer in his new position but will assume overall responsibility for the team’s strategy group and sporting regulations operations, as well as heading up Red Bull’s race, heritage and car-build teams.

He will report directly to technical director Pierre Waché, having turned down approaches from McLaren and Ferrari before signing a new contract with Red Bull.

Red Bull’s workforce is set for a restructure ahead of F1 2025 following the departures of Wheatley as well as tech guru Adrian Newey and strategy chief Will Courtenay, who agreed to join Aston Martin and McLaren respectively.

Team principal Christian Horner previously hinted that Red Bull are set to promote from within, praising the team’s strength in depth.

Read next: Gianpiero Lambiase the latest to showcase Red Bull loyalty as Ferrari and McLaren bids resisted