Max Verstappen ‘also leaving Red Bull’ declares former F1 driver
GianPiero Lambiase has served as Max Verstappen's Red Bull race engineer since May 2016
Max Verstappen could be set for a shock Red Bull exit, with Riccardo Patrese predicting he will follow GianPiero Lambiase in finding the exit.
The only question for the F1 race winner is whether Verstappen will quit the sport or move to Mercedes.
Max Verstappen Red Bull exit questions after Gianpiero Lambiase move
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Verstappen and ‘GP’ have formed a formidable partnership since 2016, when the Dutch racer joined Red Bull and won on his debut at the Spanish Grand Prix. Lambiase was the voice in his ear as the driver secured four world titles from 2021 to 2024.
Such has been the partnership, Lambiase declared in 2023 that “the day Max and I stop working together in this set-up will be the day I’m keen to take on a new challenge.”
A new challenge now awaits the 45-year-old.
McLaren announced last week that it had secured the services of Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, Lambiase, who would join the Woking team no later than 2028.
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It has pundits and fans pondering what’s next for Verstappen, and is Lambiase’s departure a sign that the 28-year-old is also ready to leave Red Bull – whether that be a move to a different team in the F1 paddock or retirement.
“If Lambiase is leaving,” declared Patrese to a betting website, “it means that that Max is also leaving Red Bull next year.
“He is not feeling very happy. So, at the end of this season he will probably make his move.
“Max, first of all, has to enjoy driving these cars. But it is obvious he doesn’t like it at all.
“He’s a strong enough person that you believe him when he says, ‘If I don’t have enjoyment, I’ll leave Formula 1.’
“He has already got satisfaction and achieved so much in the sport. He has proved that he’s the best, so on. If F1 changes and he has a good feeling again then he will go on.
“Otherwise, he may well change category. He really likes GT races.
“But at the end of it all, I think he is just talking. But he does need a winning car, that’s for sure. He is fed up, that is for sure.”
Quizzed on whether Verstappen could find a “better” series than Formula 1, Patrese reckons F1 may be the pinnacle, but that Verstappen has already achieved a great deal in the sport.
The four-time world champion has made it clear that he wants to have “fun” when he’s racing, and that right now, he is only finding that in GT3 racing as he prepares for the 24 Hours Nürburgring.
“Yes, it is [the best],” Patrese said. “But he’s already a four-time world champion. His bank account is big enough that he can live very well for the rest of his life. So, he can do what he likes.
“In my time the money was not as good as it is now. But the money was not the thing that we were thinking about. We liked to drive, and we liked the challenge of Formula 1.
“Now this year what is the challenge of a driver with these cars under the new regulations?
“That the car does everything itself. It accelerates itself to have the electronic energy back and then you can have extra power to overtake in the straight. You must lift to recharge the battery.
“It’s totally against the philosophy of a racing driver.
“Max, who I repeat is a four-time world champion, wants pleasure from driving.”
The Italian believes Mercedes, ahead of reigning world champions McLaren, would be a more interesting option for Verstappen if he opted to remain in F1 but leave Red Bull.
“McLaren is not dominating like last year and it is Mercedes who are,” he said. “They have made a very good car with the new specifications. They have a good engine, and at the moment Mercedes stay in front of McLaren.
“I don’t know if McLaren have a different mapping in the engine because of course Mercedes has the official engine; the others are customers. This is another problem.”
However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has said he’s unlikely to sign Verstappen.
Although he spent the better part of 2024 and even a few months last year publicly courting the Dutch driver, Wolff says that ship has sailed.
“Someone said that the Max discussions will eventually come back on the table again,” he told the Press Association last month. “But no, there are not any Max discussions.
“I could not be happier with the two drivers that we have. The positioning of the two, with the age gap and how it aligns well with our strategy, means there are not any discussions.”
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