Red Bull Racing will have a significant change in its future in Formula 1, and the team’s former consultant, Helmut Marko, believes that Max Verstappen will be directly affected. The departure of Gianpiero Lambiase, the four-time champion’s race engineer, was classified as a ‘significant loss’ by the former official.
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It was confirmed by the team this Thursday (09), that Lambiase will leave Red Bull in 2028, ending a partnership of more than a decade with Verstappen. Shortly after the announcement, it was revealed that the Briton will take over the position of chief race engineer at McLaren, working directly with team principal Andrea Stella.
Marko, who was also part of Verstappen’s inner circle until the end of 2025, did not hide the importance of the professional to the Dutch driver: “This is a significant loss,” stated the former Red Bull consultant in an interview with APA, highlighting the close relationship built over the years.
The Austrian compared the partnership between driver and engineer to a long-standing coexistence, marked by trust and also by divergences: “The two were like an old couple. They also had discussions and disagreements,” stated Marko, reinforcing the level of rapport between them.
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The duo formed by Verstappen and Lambiase became one of the most successful in the history of Formula 1. Together, they won four world titles and more than seventy victories, consolidating a technical and strategic relationship that marked a recent era of the category.
However, Marko highlighted that Lambiase’s influence was not limited only to communication during races. According to him, the engineer played a relevant role in the development of the car and in technical decisions within the team: “The team is large. ‘GP’ (Lambiase) was a key figure in the development and setup of the car, who also followed his own path, not always agreeing with the rest of the technical group,” concluded the former consultant.
With the departure confirmed for 2028 and the transfer to McLaren already defined, Red Bull will have time to reorganize its structure. Even so, Marko’s statements indicate that Lambiase’s absence could represent a significant challenge for Verstappen in the coming years.
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