McLaren F1 replacement twist after new signing Lambiase's 'promotion'

Stella, Lambiase, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

McLaren F1 replacement twist after new signing Lambiase's 'promotion'

Gianpiero Lambiase has been Max Verstappen's race engineer since 2016

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 17 April 2026 12:55

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An F1 insider has issued his verdict on a potential McLaren team principal change following the announcement of a new signing.

Gianpiero Lambiase, known as GP in the F1 paddock, has been confirmed to be joining McLaren from 2028, ditching his current roles at Red Bull and instead becoming chief racing officer at the Woking-based outfit.

Lambiase is currently Max Verstappen's race engineer as well as being head of racing at Red Bull, but is moving on to what will be the highest position that he has occupied within an F1 team.

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A McLaren statement revealed that he will be working closely alongside team principal Andrea Stella as McLaren restructure their management team.

But Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has definitively said that, although Lambiase is taking up a senior position at McLaren, he will not replace Stella.

"I think my take on this is that GP will have sat down with Max and talked this through with him," Croft told the F1 Show. My belief is that Max has said to GP, ‘look, don't tie your future to me. If you've got a better offer, go and explore it,’ and I think McLaren have put together a package that GP would have found very difficult to turn down. And it is a next progression up.

"GP's got a promotion. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean he's going to be team principal at McLaren, although that may happen one day, but he's not going to replace Andrea Stella. That much I am certain of. But he's going because this is the next step on the road for him."

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What does Lambiase's exit mean for Max Verstappen?

Verstappen and Lambiase share a close bond, with the four-time world champion having had Lambiase as his race engineer since he joined Red Bull back in 2016.

With Verstappen's Red Bull future beyond the end of this season already in doubt, the news surrounding Lambiase's exit has further led to rumours of a Verstappen exit from the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

An interview with Dutch media from 2021 recently resurfaced in which Verstappen talks about his bond with Lambiase, and hints at an early F1 retirement.

Verstappen can be heard in the video saying: "I told him (Lambiase) that I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop."

Lambiase won't be officially leaving Red Bull for a while, but when he does, will that be the last we see of Verstappen in F1?

"Now, what happens with Max will happen with Max," Croft continued. "And I still believe that there is a very good chance that Max will carry out his threat, his statement and say that's it for F1, I'm not interested for a while if the regulations don't change and get tweaked to a situation where he's comfortable and enjoying his driving again."

F1 Red Bull McLaren Gianpiero Lambiase Andrea Stella