Mekies confirms Lambiase's shock McLaren switch

Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s head of race operations, confirmed that Gian Piero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer, will leave the team at the end of 2027 to join McLaren as chief racing officer for the 2028 season. Red Bull has already lined up a successor from Ferrari, signalling a pre‑emptive reshuffle as the squad plans for the post‑Verstappen era.

Why it matters:

• Lambiase has been a cornerstone of Red Bull’s dominant era since 2015; his exit creates a rare continuity gap for a team that values long‑term stability.
• McLaren’s hiring underscores an aggressive push to upgrade its race‑day operations and close the performance gap with the front‑runners.
• Securing a Ferrari‑sourced replacement shows Red Bull’s intent to retain top technical expertise while mitigating the loss of institutional knowledge.

The details:

• Lambiase joined Red Bull in 2015, rising to head of racing and Verstappen’s race engineer, overseeing car set‑up, strategy and data analysis.
• At McLaren, he is slated to become chief racing officer, overseeing the race‑team hierarchy and acting as the liaison between drivers, engineers and senior management.
• Helmut Marko confirmed Red Bull already has a successor lined up from Ferrari, though the official name remains undisclosed.
• Mekies stressed Lambiase will stay fully committed through 2027, citing his professionalism and existing contract.

What's next:

• Red Bull will integrate the incoming Ferrari engineer during the 2028 pre‑season to ensure a seamless transition.
• McLaren will tap Lambiase’s championship‑winning experience, potentially accelerating their performance trajectory.
• Both teams’ race‑day structures will be under scrutiny ahead of 2028, a season that could reshape the competitive hierarchy.