Red Bull Racing surprised the Formula 1 paddock by detailing Gianpiero Lambiase’s (‘GP’) role at McLaren. According to Lambiase’s current team, the engineer will have a role equivalent to that of a team principal when he takes on the new challenge in 2028.
Read more F1: Williams reduces car weight, but effect will be gradual
This change reinforces Lambiase’s importance in the category and expands the impact of his departure from Red Bull. He is one of the most influential names in the category, especially due to his long partnership as Max Verstappen’s race engineer since 2016.
With this partnership with the four-time world champion, Lambiase built one of the most successful duos in F1. McLaren had already announced his hiring as racing director, but Red Bull Racing boss Laurent Mekies went further in defining the role.
“‘GP’ will have an extraordinary opportunity, he will be a team principal there,” Mekies said. The executive highlighted that the new role involves expanded responsibilities, aligned with the recent evolution of leadership roles in teams.
Read more F1: Bortoleto finishes 11th in Miami GP Sprint race
Despite the departure of another important name, Mekies showed confidence in Red Bull’s structure: “We have lost several key people in recent years, but we take this very seriously and continue working to attract, develop and retain talent,” he added.
He also highlighted that Lambiase will still remain with the team for two seasons, with full focus on results: “We want these two years to be very successful and that is what we are focused on,” he concluded.
Read more F1: Possibility of storm may change Miami GP schedule
