Gianpiero Lambiase is set to leave Red Bull and join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer, taking up a senior position directly below Andrea Stella in the Woking team’s management structure. Zak Brown has now indicated that McLaren may not need to wait until 2028 before seeing Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer working in papaya colours.
Gianpiero Lambiase to leave Red Bull for McLaren
Lambiase has been one of the most important figures alongside Max Verstappen throughout the Dutch driver’s Red Bull career, but their partnership is now approaching its conclusion.
Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull to join McLaren, where he will become Chief Racing Officer and sit immediately below team principal Andrea Stella within the Woking organisation.
Max Verstappen has said he told Gianpiero Lambiase that he would be foolish not to accept such an attractive opportunity. The pair, once described by Christian Horner as “two old married people arguing over the remote control”, are therefore preparing for their final Grand Prix together in Abu Dhabi.
The occasion will come five years after Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase celebrated the Dutchman’s unforgettable first Formula 1 World Championship in 2021.
Zak Brown expects Lambiase in papaya colours during 2027
Zak Brown has suggested that McLaren will probably not need to wait until 2028 before Gianpiero Lambiase begins appearing with the team at Formula 1 events.
“I’m optimistic that we’ll see him dressed in papaya at some point in 2027,” Zak Brown said, in comments reported by PlanetF1.com.
That timeline suggests Gianpiero Lambiase could begin his new McLaren duties sooner than initially expected once the restrictions associated with his departure from Red Bull have expired.
Lambiase set for gardening leave after Red Bull exit
Gianpiero Lambiase will first have to complete a period of gardening leave before beginning work with McLaren.
Based on Zak Brown’s comments, that period could last approximately nine or ten months, potentially allowing Lambiase to start operating in the Formula 1 paddock as McLaren’s Chief Racing Officer towards the end of the 2027 season.
The move will end one of Formula 1’s most recognisable driver-engineer partnerships. Gianpiero Lambiase has been a central figure throughout Max Verstappen’s long-term Red Bull era, but the final races of 2026 will now mark the closing chapter of their time together before Lambiase begins a new senior role with one of Red Bull’s leading rivals.
Leave a Reply