Max Verstappen finally speaks on Lambiase's McLaren move

Max Verstappen finally addressed the departure of his long‑time race engineer Gian Piero Lambiase, confirming he actively encouraged Lambiase to accept McLaren’s offer. Verstappen called the move a “fantastic” opportunity for Lambiase’s family and said he had no intention of standing in the way. Lambiase will join McLaren as chief racing officer by 2028, when his Red Bull contract ends.

Why it matters:

• Red Bull loses a key engineer who has been behind all four of Verstappen’s titles.
• McLaren adds a veteran with intimate knowledge of Red Bull’s operation, potentially narrowing the performance gap.

The details:

• Lambiase’s Red Bull contract runs to end‑2028; McLaren secured him to start “no later than” then.
• Verstappen told a Viaplay event he replied ‘You’d be daft not to take it’ when Lambiase asked for his approval.
• Jos Verstappen confirmed the family knew of the move for months and urged Lambiase to grab the offer.

What's next:

• Red Bull must appoint a successor to keep the engineering continuity that delivered four championships.
• Lambiase’s switch will be watched as McLaren seeks to close the gap, while Verstappen heads to Nürburgring GT3 qualifiers with Lucas Auer.