With the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team reached an important milestone: their 200th Grand Prix together. To celebrate this achievement, the Milton Keynes-based team produced an episode of the “Behind the Charge” series on their official YouTube channel, entirely dedicated to the so-called “Verstappen era.” A key figure in recounting the career of the Dutch driver was Gianpiero Lambiase, the race engineer who has worked alongside Verstappen since his arrival at Red Bull in 2016.
A gentle giant
In his portrayal of Max Verstappen, Gianpiero Lambiase strongly rejects the often unfair image of Verstappen as the “villain” of the paddock. “Here on the track, Max is often portrayed as the bad guy of the paddock, but away from the races, he is the complete opposite,” explained the 44-year-old engineer. “He is the most honest person, a gentle giant, and a very pleasant character. I consider him a great friend.”
“Max is clearly a generational talent,” Gianpiero Lambiase added. “In recent years, he has taken on the legacy of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, carrying the weight of that role. I think what he has brought to this paddock… you can see it in his relationship with today’s rookies: everyone admires him and aspires to become like him and achieve what he has achieved. I believe Formula 1 owes him a debt of gratitude for this.”
It wasn’t all praise; Gianpiero Lambiase did not shy away from mentioning some of Max Verstappen’s more challenging traits. As the main link between the team and the driver, the engineer has often been on the receiving end of the champion’s sharp responses.
“Max’s biggest flaw? His stubbornness,” he said jokingly. “He always thinks he knows what’s best, and that creates an engineering challenge: trying to get inside his head and be heard. I’ve learned to accept that even if he refuses to follow your advice at the moment, he actually absorbs it like a sponge, though he’ll never admit it, and eventually, he ends up doing exactly what you suggested.”
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