Max Verstappen’s closest lieutenant is to leave Red Bull ‘for a fortune’ to take on a senior trackside role at McLaren – opening up a possible route for the four-time world champion to join the British team.
Daily Mail Sport understands that for now Verstappen, loyal by nature, is not contemplating such a move and will stay at Red Bull for the remainder of the year and possibly beyond. I am told by informed contacts that he wants to remain steadfast to the organisation he has worked for all his F1 career and where he has enjoyed huge success.
But the fact is that the Dutchman is losing one of the pillars of his racing life, Gianpiero Lambiase, known as ‘GP’, his race engineer, to McLaren, in a job he will assume after a period of gardening leave at Red Bull. The pair’s close relationship is known to the watching public through their friendly, occasionally fractious, but always deeply respectful, exchanges over the radio.
It is not clear exactly what role ‘GP’ will take on at McLaren but it is believed he will work under chief executive Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella, a double act that masterminded the last two world constructors’ titles and steered Lando Norris to the drivers’ title last year.
‘GP’, a graduate of University College London, joined Red Bull 11 years ago and struck up a strong bond with Verstappen. I can report without contradiction that Verstappen is supportive of Lambiase’s desire to take on a new role and to secure his financial security elsewhere, and the upcoming departure has no immediate implications on Verstappen’s future.
One source, who asked not to be named, told me: ‘GP has been offered a fortune to go and that is understandable. There is no objection on Max’s part. Quite the opposite. He supports GP and his decision.’
Max Verstappen is losing one of the pillars of his racing life, his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, to McLaren, in a job he will assume after a period of gardening leave at Red Bull
McLaren, led by Zak Brown (left) are clearly an option, not least with Lambiase’s imminent arrival presenting a further attraction
Verstappen has been a vocal critic of this year’s new regulations that stipulate a 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion engines, and has said he is considering whether to go on in F1.
But I can reveal that Verstappen is willing to see how the year plays out. He is also demanding more from his own team – targeting them to master the regulations – as well as calling on Formula One Management, F1’s owners, and the FIA, the sport’s regulators, to curb the worst excesses of the rules. In a number of broadsides, he has described the current sport as ‘anti-racing’ with its lift-and-coast problems as the battery is recharged.
Another contact says that Verstappen is demanding improvements, especially from chief designer Pierre Wache, heir to Adrian Newey, the master who left Red Bull last year to join Aston Martin. Newey is one of several key figures to move from the once dominant team, which won six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships, split evenly between Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen, from 2010 to 2024.
Christian Horner was sacked as team principal and senior figure Jonathan Wheatley left to lead Audi (since resigning for pastures new, possibly Aston, but perhaps to return to Red Bull). Verstappen’s respected performance engineer Tom Hart is also destined for Williams. There is an air of dominoes falling.
Horner was the first and many there feel a great affiliation to his leadership. That’s gone, at a cost to morale in the racing team. I have been told that repeatedly.
As for Verstappen over the next few years? He has plenty of options. Mercedes have courted his services for a couple of years, despite team boss Toto Wolff saying recently that he is no longer seeking Verstappen’s employment. That statement could yet be overturned – F1 is a ruthless business – with all teams coveting the 28-year-old’s talent.
The thought of Verstappen joining Mercedes puts the wind up their drivers, the excellent George Russell and the superb 19-year-old emerging star Kimi Antonelli, between them winners of the first three races of the season.
Verstappen, though, is signed up at Red Bull until the end of 2028 on a deal worth some £100million a year, so any move for him would undoubtedly require the biggest salary offer F1 has known.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff (right, with then-Toro Rosso driver Verstappen in 2014) has courted the services of the Dutchman for years
McLaren may deny it, but Brown’s relations with Oscar Piastri (right) are strained, amid the belief of his manager Mark Webber that the team favours Lando Norris (left)
Yes, McLaren are clearly an option, not least with Lambiase’s imminent arrival presenting a further attraction. Over the years the Verstappen camp have not been overly keen on moving to the Woking-based team, but if McLaren were to prove themselves this year capable of conjuring a winning car, he may yet be attracted. Why not?
Which driver at McLaren would make way, then? Norris, Verstappen’s mate, would likely stay. The Englishman gets on well with Brown.
Brown’s relations with Oscar Piastri, the Australian who lost out on the title to Norris last year, were in danger of being strained. But that related most directly to his manager, the pugnacious and distinguished former Red Bull driver Mark Webber – who took umbrage with being Vettel’s ‘No 2’ in his own racing days – standing up against what he perceived to be a bias towards Norris, a notion that has been given vent Down Under. Webber, along with his partner Ann, remain Piastri’s managers but are not as often at races as they once were. McLaren say these sores are in the past.
Ferrari are another possibility, with Lewis Hamilton likely to retire at the end of this year. But Ferrari have not won either world title since 2008, so the Scuderia might be considered an unreliable prospect. The Verstappens have always been sceptical of Ferrari guaranteeing a clear track to success.
Anyway, it seems Verstappen will assess his options over the next few months, seeing if Red Bull can find an answer to their problems, as the fourth-best team right now behind Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. If no solutions are found where he is, at the team where he has enjoyed his best moments, a fight for his skills will be on.
The sport’s tectonic plates moved incrementally today.
