Red Bull has confirmed that it intends to keep Gianpiero Lambiase on the team for the next two years, despite his already confirmed move to McLaren. The information was detailed by the team principal, Laurent Mekies, who also spoke about how the negotiations were conducted internally.
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According to Mekies, Max Verstappen’s race engineer has been the subject of talks for quite some time and will continue to fulfill his contract until the transition. “We will have the GP with us for the next two years,” he told Sky F1. He also highlighted: “The GP is a fantastic professional, and we know he will give his best. And, of course, we will keep him.”
Lambiase’s move to McLaren, where he will be chief race engineer, is already planned with arrival by 2028 at the latest. The 45-year-old engineer has been a central figure at Red Bull since 2015 and has worked with Verstappen since the driver’s victory at the 2016 Spanish GP. Since 2025, he has also served as the team’s race principal.
Mekies stated that Verstappen was always informed about the talks. “We talk practically every day with Max. He was fully aware of all the discussions we were having with the GP,” he said. According to him, this is due both to the relationship between driver and engineer and the team’s “open door” policy.
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The director also emphasized the Dutchman’s involvement with the team: “He is not outside the project judging the project. He is inside, pulling together with us.”
For Mekies, Lambiase’s future departure is natural. “He had an extraordinary opportunity. This kind of chance comes once in a lifetime, and he decided to take it.”
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