gianpiero lambiase is set to join McLaren from 2028, in a move that adds fresh pressure to Red Bull at a sensitive moment for Max Verstappen. The leading engineer, best known as Verstappen’s race engineer, is expected to take on a role supporting McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. The exact title has not been disclosed, but the plan is designed to strengthen McLaren’s race operations as Formula 1 becomes more complex.
What the move means now
The timing matters because Lambiase has been one of the most stable parts of Verstappen’s Red Bull environment since 2016. His departure would mark another major change inside a team that has already seen several senior figures leave in recent seasons, including Rob Marshall, Will Courtenay, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Christian Horner.
Red Bull and McLaren were not prepared to comment publicly on the move. However, senior insiders at both teams have confirmed the information, speaking on condition of anonymity.
gianpiero lambiase is currently Red Bull’s head of race engineering, and the switch would place him into McLaren’s race-operations support structure alongside Courtenay and racing director Randy Singh. The aim is to give Stella more room to focus on leadership while easing the load on the trackside side of the business. Stella already carries multiple responsibilities, including duties that effectively make him technical director as well as team principal.
Gianpiero Lambiase and Verstappen’s long partnership
The relationship between Verstappen and Lambiase has been central to Red Bull’s recent success. Lambiase has worked with Verstappen since the Dutch driver joined Red Bull for the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, and the pair are widely viewed as one of Formula 1’s most established driver-engineer combinations.
That closeness is part of why this move is being watched so closely. Verstappen’s future has already been under scrutiny after comments in Japan about being beyond frustration and needing to think about “life” and whether he still enjoys being in the sport. His Red Bull contract runs until 2028, but performance-related clauses could allow him to leave earlier.
gianpiero lambiase has also been linked in recent coverage with a possible head of race engineering role at McLaren, though the exact internal title remains unconfirmed outside the team. McLaren insiders have rejected claims that the recruitment is a sign Stella is preparing to leave for Ferrari.
Immediate reaction and what comes next
The clearest immediate reaction is the scale of the signal it sends. McLaren is continuing to build depth around Stella, while Red Bull is losing another senior operator with deep knowledge of one of the grid’s most important driver relationships.
The wider context is a Red Bull organisation still adjusting after a wave of departures across technical, sporting and leadership roles. McLaren, by contrast, has used recent seasons to strengthen its structure and add experienced figures from its rival. For Verstappen, the prospect of gianpiero lambiase moving on only adds to the uncertainty around what comes next, even if the switch is not expected until 2028.
