Formula 1 has gained another chapter of uncertainty involving Max Verstappen, following the announcement of Gianpiero Lambiase’s (‘GP’) departure from Red Bull Racing. Former team driver Christian Klien admitted surprise at the news and raised doubts about the four-time champion’s future in the category.
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The announcement that Lambiase will leave Red Bull to take on the role of Chief Racing Officer at McLaren in 2028 will end a long partnership with Verstappen, which began in 2016. Despite this, Klien views the scenario with caution and believes the team still has time to reorganize.
“I was very surprised that this came up so early and was made official by both parties,” Klien told GPblog. “Maybe there were many rumors circulating, so they had to do something about it, just like in the situation of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari,” said the Austrian, in a relaxed tone.
Even with the surprise, Klien highlighted the positive side of the situation: “But anyway, the positive side is that they (Red Bull) still have a year and a half to restructure. That’s good. I also think it’s good for Max. He knows that ‘GP’ will stay with him during this period, if Max continues,” he stated.
The former driver also drew attention to the complexity of the situation involving Verstappen’s future: “Max’s contract runs until the end of 2028. I think it’s a complicated situation. The question is, does Max himself have a plan?” Klien questioned.
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After the Japanese GP, Verstappen revealed doubts about his continuity in Formula 1, stating that he needed to think carefully over the coming weeks and months. For Klien, however, Lambiase’s departure does not necessarily mean the end of a cycle: “It’s not common to have a single race engineer throughout your entire career. So the chapter isn’t completely closed just because ‘GP’ is leaving.”
The Austrian also highlighted the personal relationship between the two: “I think they are very good friends. If ‘GP’ no longer wanted to be a race engineer and wanted a higher position, and had this opportunity at McLaren, Max is the last person who would stop a friend from doing that,” he added.
With the future wide open, much speculation has begun to arise about Verstappen. Klien acknowledged that there are different possibilities, including other teams in Formula 1 and even projects outside the category: “That is also a possibility. Maybe the door to Mercedes is closed, or maybe not. I think there is always a door open somewhere for Max. At the moment, the problem is that there are no races for a month, so too many theories arise,” he completed.
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