The paddock was taken by surprise by the news that Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving Red Bull for McLaren in Formula 1. Max Verstappen’s race engineer has been working with the Dutchman since 2016, but will say goodbye to the team at the end of the 2027 season.
Read more F1: McLaren announces Lambiase as race director from 2028
The 45-year-old official became well known for his highly successful partnership with the Dutchman. Despite some moments of tension recorded over the radios during races, the duo showed they fit well together to deliver victories and titles throughout their 70 GPs of collaboration.
‘GP’s’ path to success began with a degree in mechanical engineering from University College London. Then, in 2005, he arrived in Formula 1 as a data engineer with Jordan, staying with the team during its transitions to Midland, Spyker and Force India.
In 2009, he was even working as Giancarlo Fisichella’s engineer when Force India achieved its first pole position and first podium at Spa-Francorchamps. Later, he also worked with Vitantonio Liuzzi, Paul di Resta and Sergio Pérez, before arriving at Red Bull at the end of 2014.
Read more F1: Red Bull confirms departure of Gianpiero Lambiase in 2028
First, he began his work with Daniil Kvyat, but was quickly placed with Verstappen when the Dutchman was promoted to the Russian’s seat at the 2016 Spanish GP. The partnership even started with success, as Max secured the victory in Barcelona in his first race with Red Bull.
In the following years, the collaboration only grew and strengthened, reaching its peak between 2021 and 2024, when Verstappen achieved four consecutive Formula 1 titles.
Lambiase achieved several titles during his time at Red Bull and in 2024 was promoted to Head of Race Engineering.
Read more Porsche Cup confirms 2026 rounds in Portugal for the Algarve
