Red Bull finds Lambiase successor as Liam Lawson grows ‘stronger’ – roundup
GianPiero Lambiase in the Red Bull garage at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix
Tuesday’s fast-paced F1 news includes Red Bull identifying former Aston Martin engineer Tom McCullough as McLaren-bound GianPiero Lambiase’s successor.
With exclusive interviews with Formula 1’s Liam Parker, Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson and Le Mans icon Tom Kristensen, here’s today’s roundup…
Red Bull identifies Tom McCullough as GianPiero Lambiase successor
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Former Aston Martin engineer Tom McCullough is set to join Red Bull ahead of GianPiero Lambiase’s move to McLaren, PlanetF1.com has learned.
McCullough is to take on the senior trackside responsibilities currently held by Lambiase, who will join McLaren ‘no later’ than 2028.
McCullough is not expected to become Max Verstappen’s new race engineer, however, with Tom Hart likely to fill the role.
Read more: Red Bull finds GianPiero Lambiase successor ahead of McLaren move
Formula 1 insists future ‘will be V8’ and ‘not electric’
Formula 1’s Liam Parker has insisted that F1 will not become an electric-powered series in the future.
And he says that F1’s medium-to-long-term future “will be V8”, echoing the FIA’s commitment to a return to V8 engines.
Parker acts as F1’s chief communications and corporate relations officer.
Read more: F1’s next billion fans? FOM insists the sport is ‘only just’ beginning
Liam Lawson ‘stronger’ for bruising Red Bull experience
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has declared that he is “a much stronger driver and person” for his rough 2025 experience at Red Bull.
Lawson was demoted by Red Bull after the opening two races of last season.
The New Zealander has recovered well and currently holds ninth place in the F1 2026 standings.
Read more: Liam Lawson makes striking admission about his Red Bull ambitions
Tom Kristensen: ‘Real men’s corners’ less rewarding under F1 2026 rules
Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen has told PlanetF1.com that so-called “real men’s corners” are “not so rewarding” under the F1 2026 rules.
Yet he believes drivers can still gain an advantage by “being intelligent” and “creating an advantage for yourself.”
Kristensen is the most successful driver in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours having won the endurance classic nine times between 1997 and 2013.
Read more: F1’s ‘real men’s corners’ still matter as the sport rewards drivers differently
Red Bull half-term report
Max Verstappen and Red Bull remain without a win at the halfway stage of the F1 2026 season.
The Milton Keynes team has had a patchy start to F1’s new era, with Verstappen limited to just four podium finishes across the opening 11 races.
PlanetF1.com’s Michelle Foster assesses how Red Bull has fared so far this year.
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Read more: Red Bull review: Verstappen’s future hangs in balance as team’s struggles exposed
