Is F1 champion Max Verstappen two-faced? Red Bull insider tells all

Max Verstappen

Is Max Verstappen two-faced? Red Bull insider on what F1 champion is really like

Max Verstappen has a Marmite kind of personality

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 22 February 2026 18:57

A close Max Verstappen ally has revealed what the four-time F1 world champion is really like having worked with him in a high-pressure environment for almost decade.

Verstappen is one of the most successful racers in F1 history, having claimed four championships and sitting third on the all-time list of grand prix victories at the age of just 28.

But the Dutchman is still hungry for title number five in the next few years following the regulations reset, attempting to go one better than former Red Bull star Sebastian Vettel.

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One character who has been a big part of Verstappen's success so far, and will likely play a major role in any future success that the Dutchman has, is his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

The British-Italian engineer has been Verstappen's engineer since he joined the team back in 2016, and has overseen all of his success as the pair have enjoyed a close working relationship.

Ahead of their 10th championship together, Lambiase has revealed what the 28-year-old is really like, disbanding the idea the Dutchman is two-faced whilst also admitting that their age gap has meant Lambiase has acted as a fatherly figure for Verstappen over the years.

"We are at very different stages in our lives, even though he’s in a serious and steady relationship with a child on the way," Lambiase told Simon Lazenby’s new book Pressure: How the people who power Formula One thrive at the limits, before Verstappen's partner Kelly Piquet gave birth last year.

"I mean I could almost be his dad. He is a very straightforward, honest guy. What you see is what you get and he definitely doesn’t have two faces," Lambiase continued, setting the record straight about the Dutchman who has often been billed as the villain of F1.

"Ultimately, I’d like to think I’m a genuine and sincere person and so I think that’s the mutual bond that we’ve got together. The trust that we have is based on doing the absolute best for each other and the team. I will tell him when he’s wrong and I will tell the team when he’s right. We just know where we stand with each other."

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How long will Verstappen stay at Red Bull?

Speculation linking Verstappen with a move away from Red Bull has been prevalent in both of the last two seasons, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff publicly pursuing the four-time champion's services.

However, Verstappen has reiterated he wants to see out his current deal with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, which runs until the end of 2028.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Verstappen even stated he wants to finish his career at Red Bull, a wise decision especially if it meant continuing his work with Lambiase. Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari last season demonstrated just how tricky it can be to adapt to a new race engineer, something Verstappen is lucky he won't have to do for now.

However, it remains to be seen how much that loyalty will be tested if Red Bull struggle to provide the Dutchman with a car that is capable of challenging for world championships.

The 2026 regulations overhaul could see some discrepancy in the performance of teams in 2025 compared to this year and beyond, and it remains to be seen how they will all shape up.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Gianpiero Lambiase