McLaren has confirmed the signing of Gianpiero Lambiase for the 2028 Formula 1 season, and Zak Brown has publicly commented for the first time on the engineer’s future arrival. The CEO of McLaren Racing showed enthusiasm for the reinforcement, highlighting the impact the signing could have on the team’s future.
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Lambiase will take on the role of Chief Racing Officer after his contract with Red Bull Racing ends at the end of 2027. This move represents a significant change in his career, as the Briton will leave a role directly linked to drivers to take on a more operational role within the British team’s structure. Lambiase is Max Verstappen’s current race engineer and was by the Dutchman’s side during his four Formula 1 title wins.
Brown shared his reaction on social media, celebrating the signing: “Happy to share that Gianpiero Lambiase will join the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 team as Chief Racing Officer, reporting to Team Principal Andrea Stella, when his contract ends, at the latest in 2028,” the executive stated.
The executive also highlighted the team’s current momentum and the potential of the new partnership: “He joins an incredible team under Andrea’s leadership, and I am excited about what we can achieve together,” Brown added, reinforcing his confidence in the engineer’s impact.
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The confirmation of the transfer ends months of speculation about Lambiase’s future, who had been linked to various teams. In January, it had been confirmed that he would remain at Red Bull in the short term, but the Briton later accepted McLaren’s proposal.
With the signing, McLaren now has three key names coming from Red Bull Racing. Lambiase will join Will Courtenay, Sporting Director, and Rob Marshall, Chief Designer. Marshall joined the team in 2024, while Courtenay joined the group at the beginning of 2026, all working under the leadership of Brown and Stella.
Lambiase began his Formula 1 journey with the Jordan team, now Aston Martin, and built a solid career over more than a decade at Red Bull. The experience gained in a competitive environment with complex decision-making is seen as an asset to strengthen McLaren’s structure, which has been on a growth trajectory since Brown’s arrival in 2018.
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