The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix begins with a significant absence on the Red Bull Racing pit wall: Giampiero Lambiase, who has long served as the race engineer to three-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen, will not be present at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. This marks his second consecutive absence, following his non-attendance at the Austrian Grand Prix, reportedly due to personal reasons. To further compound the situation, this race weekend will also be the first without Christian Horner at the helm of the Milton Keynes-based team, following his recent and unexpected departure.
The absence of Giampiero Lambiase is not a minor issue for Max Verstappen or for Red Bull Racing. His voice has, for many years, played a central and stabilizing role in both the technical execution and psychological support of Verstappen’s race weekends. The partnership between the Dutch driver and his long-time engineer is one of the strongest and most well-established relationships in the entire Formula 1 paddock. Their radio exchanges are often direct, stripped of unnecessary words, and almost coded in their efficiency—an example of highly synchronized communication developed over time through shared experience.
Confirmation of Giampiero Lambiase’s continued absence came via Dutch journalist Erik van Haren, who is well-connected within Max Verstappen’s close circle and has been a reliable source of information about the reigning World Champion’s entourage.
In Belgium, as was the case during the race weekend in Austria, it will once again be Simon Rennie who steps in to support Max Verstappen from the pit wall. Simon Rennie is no stranger to Red Bull Racing, having previously worked with drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo and Alexander Albon during earlier phases of the team’s recent history. While Simon Rennie certainly has the necessary experience and a deep understanding of the Red Bull garage operations, the rapport he shares with Max Verstappen does not match the seamless synergy that has been carefully built between Verstappen and Giampiero Lambiase over the course of multiple championship-winning seasons.
As of now, there is still no official word on when Giampiero Lambiase will return to his usual role by Max Verstappen’s side. It remains unclear whether the Italian engineer will be back in time for the Hungarian Grand Prix or whether his comeback will be postponed until after the summer break, which traditionally follows the race at the Hungaroring. In either case, the continued absence of such a vital team member represents yet another destabilizing element for Red Bull Racing, a team already dealing with internal disruption after the departure of long-serving team boss Christian Horner. Laurent Mekies, who was recently promoted to team principal, is currently leading the team through this transitional period.
At a circuit as demanding and unpredictable as Spa-Francorchamps—especially with the weather forecast suggesting changing conditions throughout the weekend—Max Verstappen will have to tackle one of the most challenging Grands Prix on the calendar without the guidance of the person he has trusted most on the radio for years. The fast and flowing layout of the Spa circuit, combined with its notorious elevation changes and lengthy straights, already poses a considerable technical challenge for both the car and the driver. But for Max Verstappen, the difficulty will also extend to the psychological side of racing, as he will be forced to rely on an alternate voice during intense on-track situations.
This scenario could provide a meaningful test of Max Verstappen’s ability to adapt quickly and maintain his sharp focus under pressure, particularly in the face of ongoing uncertainty and internal change at Red Bull Racing. The team, which has enjoyed several dominant seasons in recent years, now finds itself in a period of strategic and personnel transition. Whether these developments will have a tangible impact on Verstappen’s title campaign remains to be seen, but the absence of Giampiero Lambiase at such a critical juncture certainly adds a layer of complexity to what is already shaping up to be a closely contested second half of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship.
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