Red Bull's Lambiase set for 2028 McLaren switch

Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer and Red Bull's head of racing, Gianpiero Lambiase, has agreed to join rival McLaren in 2028, marking a significant personnel loss for the reigning champions. The highly sought-after engineer is currently under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2027, but could move earlier if the teams negotiate a release. His departure adds to a growing list of senior figures who have left Red Bull in recent seasons.

Why it matters:

Lambiase is not just Verstappen's trusted voice on the radio; he holds a critical senior trackside role overseeing race operations. His move to McLaren represents a major coup for the Woking-based team and a substantial blow to Red Bull's trackside engineering strength. This comes at a sensitive time for Red Bull, with internal stability questions and Verstappen himself evaluating his long-term future in Formula 1.

The details:

• The Deal: Lambiase has signed to join McLaren starting in 2028, following the conclusion of his current Red Bull contract. A move before then would require an agreement between the teams, similar to the arrangement for former Red Bull strategy head Will Courtenay.
• The Role: At McLaren, the 45-year-old will take on a senior trackside role, supporting Team Principal Andrea Stella and helping manage the race weekend workload. Speculation that he is being groomed as Stella's eventual successor is reported to be inaccurate.
• Red Bull's Brain Drain: Lambiase's impending exit continues a trend of key personnel departing Milton Keynes. This follows the high-profile exits of Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, Rob Marshall (to McLaren), and the departures of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko over the past nine months.
• Verstappen's Context: The news surfaces as four-time champion Verstappen has expressed concerns over F1's 2026 regulations and is known to have exit clauses in his Red Bull contract, which also runs through 2028. The loss of his core engineering partner could influence his career decisions.

What's next:

All eyes will be on how Red Bull manages this transition and who will step into the pivotal role of Verstappen's race engineer. For McLaren, securing a figure of Lambiase's calibre is a statement of intent as they build towards future championship challenges. The 2026 regulatory shift and the ongoing driver market will now be viewed alongside this key personnel move, potentially reshaping team dynamics for the latter part of the decade.