Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase set for McLaren F1 switch

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Max Verstappen's long-time Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is set for a long-term switch to McLaren, Motorsport.com understands.

Lambiase has long been the subject of intense interest across the paddock as the 45-year-old weighed up his options last winter. Amid links with Aston Martin and Williams, Lambiase ultimately chose to remain in place at Red Bull, where he not only performs the job of Verstappen's race engineer but also a more overarching trackside role as head of racing.

But as first reported by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, and since confirmed to Motorsport.com by sources with knowledge of the situation, Red Bull and Verstappen are now set to lose Lambiase after all as he has agreed a deal to join rival McLaren.

Lambiase is set to join the reigning world champions in 2028, as he is currently contracted with Red Bull until the end of 2027. At McLaren, Lambiase would support team principal Andrea Stella in a senior trackside role. Both Red Bull and McLaren have been contacted for comment.

With Stella part of the new generation of engineering-first team principals with a wide remit both across a race weekend and at the factory, Lambiase's arrival would help take some load off the Italian's plate as he looks after a team well north of 1000 staff. However, speculation that Lambiase's move is part of a long-term plan to succeed Stella, amid alleged Ferrari interest in its former engineer, is understood to be wide of the mark.

At McLaren, Lambiase would support team principal Andrea Stella in a senior trackside role. But speculation Lambiase is lined up as Stella's long-term replacement is wide of the mark.​

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At McLaren, Lambiase would support team principal Andrea Stella in a senior trackside role. But speculation Lambiase is lined up as Stella's long-term replacement is wide of the mark.

The switch would follow a similar playbook as the one made by Red Bull's former head of strategy Will Courtenay, who was also made to wait until the start of this season to join McLaren. Lambiase could still join McLaren before 2028 if the two teams agree a deal for an early release.

Previously, Red Bull also lost chief designer Rob Marshall to the papaya squad. Other senior figures to move on from Red Bull in recent years include tech chief Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, while long-time CEO Christian Horner and adviser Helmut Marko have also left the outfit over the past nine months.

Lambiase's impending Red Bull exit comes against the backdrop of four-time world champion Verstappen mulling over his own future in the series, having been disillusioned with 2026's all-new technical regulations. Verstappen's current Red Bull deal expires at the end of 2028, but the Dutchman is known to have various exit clauses that can be triggered as early as this summer if he wanted to get out sooner.

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