Formula 1 had a hectic behind-the-scenes moment at the Miami GP involving Red Bull Racing and McLaren. The two teams met to clarify statements about Gianpiero Lambiase’s future.
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The meeting took place after comments from Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s chief, suggested that Max Verstappen’s race engineer would take on a different role than announced at McLaren in 2028. The situation prompted an immediate reaction from the British team and led to a direct conversation between the leaders.
McLaren had already confirmed that Lambiase will arrive in 2028 as racing director, reporting to team principal Andrea Stella, and not as Stella’s replacement in charge of the team. Even so, Mekies’ remarks caused a stir, with McLaren CEO Zak Brown responding by saying that Mekies: “Knows something I don’t know.”
During the weekend, Brown was seen in the Red Bull area in the paddock for a meeting with Mekies and Oliver Mintzlaff. After the race, Red Bull’s chief downplayed the episode: “No one wanted to turn this into a ping-pong. We had a good conversation, as always, and moved on,” he said.
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Additionally, Mekies addressed the departure of important professionals from the team in recent years, including Lambiase himself, who still has a contract until the end of 2027: “We don’t want to be defensive about the loss of talent. This has been happening for a few years and, therefore, it is a priority to create an environment to retain, develop and attract the best,” he concluded.
He also highlighted confidence in the current structure and the strategy of promoting internal talents, resorting to the market only when necessary to strengthen specific areas of the Formula 1 team.
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