F1 champion Max Verstappen his breaks silence on Gianpiero Lambiase Red Bull exit

Credit for photo: Red Bull Content Pool — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen breaks his silence on Gianpiero Lambiase Red Bull F1 exit

Verstappen is losing his closest remaining Red Bull ally

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 17 April 2026 12:15 Updated: 17:43

Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen has spoken for the first time about the shocking Red Bull exit of his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

Verstappen has won all of his championships with Lambiase in his ear on team radio, but now he is losing his closest remaining ally to McLaren.

A week on from the shocking news that GP will leave for Red Bull's big rivals no later than 2028, the 28-year-old Dutchman broke his silence at an event hosted by Viaplay in Amsterdam.

Article continues under video

Lambiase asked for Verstappen blessing

Verstappen spoke about how he and Lambiase discussed the tempting offer from the rival team, it spoke volumes about their relationship.

“He told me about the offer he received,” the driver explained, as reported by De Telegraaf.

“I told him, ‘You’d be crazy not to take it. We’ve achieved everything together'. And when you factor in the benefits for his family and the security it brings, it was an offer too good to pass up.”

The bond between driver and engineer has grown so strong over the years that Lambiase sought Verstappen’s approval before making his final decision.

“He literally asked for my blessing, and I insisted he go for it without any hesitation. He needed to hear it from me directly.”

What is Lambiase's new role at McLaren?

Despite the impending move, Lambiase’s collaboration with Verstappen will remain intact for now. Unless something changes, he will see out his current contract with Red Bull Racing, leaving only at the end of 2027, while continuing in his dual role as Head of Racing and Verstappen’s race engineer.

Then, in 2028, he will he begin his tenure at McLaren as Chief Racing Officer, reporting directly to team principal Andrea Stella.

Red Bull has yet to announce a permanent successor for the role beside Verstappen, though Simon Rennie is currently the frontrunner, having already stepped in on two occasions when Lambiase had to miss races due to personal matters.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Gianpiero Lambiase