F1 News Roundup: Red Bull Reshuffles Tech Team as Verstappen Backs Lambiase's McLaren Move

A flurry of off-track news hit Formula 1, headlined by a Red Bull technical department reshuffle and Max Verstappen's public blessing for his long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to join McLaren. Meanwhile, George Russell provided clarity on his Mercedes future, Alpine made a boardroom change, and Damon Hill offered a stark criticism of the late FIA president Max Mosley.

Why it matters:

The movement of key technical personnel, especially from a dominant team like Red Bull, can signal internal evolution and potentially shift competitive advantages. Verstappen's supportive reaction to Lambiase's departure also highlights the human dynamics behind the sport's high-stakes decisions, while contract and management news from Mercedes and Alpine reveals the ongoing strategic planning happening away from the racetrack.

The details:

• Red Bull's Technical Reshuffle: The team announced Ben Waterhouse's promotion to Chief Performance and Design Engineer. Andrea Landi will join from sister team Racing Bulls on July 1 as Head of Performance, moving from his role as Deputy Technical Director.
• Verstappen on Lambiase's Move: Max Verstappen revealed that his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, sought his "approval" before accepting a "fantastic offer" from McLaren. Lambiase, a highly respected figure, will join McLaren no later than 2028 after nearly a decade working with Verstappen.
• Russell's Contract Clause: George Russell stated he is "very likely" to hit the performance metrics that would trigger a contract extension with Mercedes for the 2027 season. His current deal, announced last October, contains performance-related clauses.
• Alpine's Boardroom Change: Renault's CFO, Duncan Minto, has left the Alpine F1 team board. He has been replaced by Guillaume Rosso, Renault's Global Head of Mergers and Acquisitions, amid continued interest in Otro Capital's 24% stake in the team.
• Hill's Criticism of Mosley: Responding to a tribute for the late FIA president's 86th birthday, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill criticized Max Mosley, claiming he used his intelligence "in the service of hatred and division" and that his humor was always "at someone else’s expense."

What's next:

The focus now shifts to how these changes materialize. Red Bull will integrate its new technical leadership, while McLaren prepares for Lambiase's eventual arrival to bolster its engineering strength. All eyes will be on Russell's on-track performance as he works to secure his Mercedes future, and Alpine's new board member may play a key role in navigating the team's ownership structure moving forward.