Lambiase separates from Max
This time there was no denial: Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull at the natural end of his contract to join McLaren from 2028. The British engineer with Italian origins has accepted the astronomical offer from the English team and will leave his role as Max Verstappen’s race engineer and Red Bull’s Head of Racing. Lambiase will – in all likelihood – take on the position of head of McLaren race engineers, taking some duties away from team principal Andrea Stella.
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Helmut Marko’s comment
To the Austrians of Kleine Zeitung Helmut Marko – who knows both Lambiase and Verstappen perfectly – commented: “It is a great loss for Max. The two were like an old married couple, with their discussions and their arguments. GP was a fundamental figure in the development and setup of the car and followed a line of his own, not always in tune with the rest of the technical staff.”
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Verstappen’s frustrations
While admitting “only sporadic contact” with Verstappen, Marko said that by now Max “talks more about the Nurburgring than F1″. According to the former Austrian Red Bull consultant: “Verstappen is a purebred driver and the current rules are designed towards energy management, which can only happen in agreement with the software engineers. They have taken the dominant role away from the driver. The ‘Max Factor’ is only there when he has a car he trusts and now that is not the case. A Red Bull comeback? I believe they will make it this time too.”
