Max Verstappen’s Right-Hand Man Gianpiero Lambiase All Set For Surprise McLaren Switch

Last Updated:April 09, 2026, 3:28 PM IST

Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to join McLaren in 2028, raising fresh doubts over Red Bull form.

Gianpiero Lambiase and Max Verstappen talk in the garage during qualifying of Las Vegas GP (Picture credit: AFP)

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is all set to move to McLaren in 2028, with the latter already having turned down an offer from Aston Martin. This might come as the latest blow for Red Bull, who haven’t been able to extract commendable performances since last season.

Verstappen had made it clear that he could walk away from Formula 1 if Lambiase is no longer his race engineer, making any potential change a pivotal factor in shaping his future in the sport.

Lambiase is all set to stay with Red Bull Racing until he is cleared to join McLaren, having been the only race engineer Verstappen has worked with since he arrived at the team in 2016.

According to a report in Sky Sports, Lambiase will become head of race engineering at McLaren and as per senior figures, current team principal Andrea Stella’s position will be unaffected.

He joined McLaren from Ferrari in 2015, rose to the role of team principal in 2023 and has since guided the team to consecutive constructors’ championships over the past two seasons.

Lambiase rejected an offer from Aston Martin to become team principal, with a potential move to McLaren emerging as a more appealing option.

Verstappen revealed at the most recent Formula 1 race in Japan that he is contemplating stepping away from the sport at the end of the season, despite being under contract with Red Bull Racing until 2028.

Lambiase is poised to become the latest key figure to leave Red Bull Racing for McLaren, after Rob Marshall, who joined the Woking-based outfit as technical director in 2024 and Will Courtenay, who came on board this year as sporting director.

Adrian Newey, the legendary designer, left Red Bull Racing to join Aston Martin last year, while long-serving team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko have also moved on.

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