The revolution that has hit Red Bull over recent months, from the departures of Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall and Jonathan Wheatley to that of Christian Horner, followed by the arrival of Laurent Mekies, has also involved a number of figures that could be described as ‘secondary’, yet whose absence has significantly changed Max Verstappen’s trackside team.
Between departures and team changes, the four-time world champion has seen several key members of his race crew leave Milton Keynes. Among them is Matt Caller, his chief mechanic, who chose to join Audi. But that is not all. While Verstappen’s former head mechanic Lee Stevenson had already moved to Audi in 2024, David Mart and Michael Manning, two of his engineers, have also left Red Bull. Looking further ahead, it is expected that Verstappen’s performance engineer Tom Hart will move to Williams after 2026.
One certainty, however, remains: Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer and Red Bull’s Head of Racing since last season.
Lambiase stays at Red Bull in 2026, but Adrian Newey wants him at Aston Martin
During this winter break, there has been considerable discussion about a possible departure of the Italian engineer from Red Bull. However, according to information gathered by the Italian media, that scenario was never truly in doubt. That a professional of Gianpiero Lambiase’s calibre would attract interest from several teams, including Aston Martin, should come as no surprise.
With the arrival of Adrian Newey, a completely new chapter has begun at Silverstone. Lawrence Stroll has given the British design genius full freedom and, following a process very similar to the one Newey implemented at Red Bull, has initiated an extensive wave of dismissals to reshape the team in his own image. To do this, Newey relies on a trusted individual who analyses everything that happens within the factory and reports back through detailed briefings.
The numerous departures of key figures in recent months are no coincidence. These include aerodynamic director Eric Blandin, but also — and perhaps above all — second- and third-tier engineers who are now moving to rival teams.
It is within this strategy that Aston Martin’s offer to Gianpiero Lambiase fits. The team is targeting the recruitment of senior figures — and not only senior ones — who will replace personnel gradually released by Newey. More specifically, the Italian engineer was offered an executive-level role, such as team principal or CEO, working alongside the British designer.
Newey’s sole and clear objective is to focus on the design of the Aston Martin AMR26 and subsequent cars, rather than acting as a fully hands-on team principal. Lambiase’s technical expertise, combined with his strong interpersonal skills, people management abilities and extensive experience, would undoubtedly be extremely valuable to Aston Martin — as they would be to any team in a Formula 1 that is becoming increasingly engineer-dependent, especially in the midst of the current regulatory revolution.
Despite this, Gianpiero Lambiase will remain at Red Bull for the 2026 season, although there is slightly more uncertainty regarding the year that follows. He will continue to hold both roles he occupied in 2025: Max Verstappen’s race engineer and Head of Racing for the Milton Keynes-based team.
As understood, just like last season, Red Bull will allow Gianpiero Lambiase full flexibility to miss certain races if necessary for personal reasons. In such cases, Verstappen would once again be assisted by another race engineer, with Simon Rennie having already stepped in for Lambiase during his absences over the course of the previous season.
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