Red Bull announce major F1 changes as team reacts to Gianpiero Lambiase exit

Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull Racing

Red Bull announce major F1 changes as team reacts to Gianpiero Lambiase exit

Red Bull is reacting to a string of big-name departures

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 17 April 2026 11:30 Updated: 12:17

F1 giant Red Bull have responded to the massive exodus of key figures by announcing major changes to their team structure.

The announcement that Max Verstappen's long-time Gianpiero Lambiase is joining McLaren came as the latest blow to a team reeling from a host of major departures.

Before Lambiase, Red Bull had already lost Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, Jonathan Wheatley, Helmut Marko and more for a variety of reasons. Effectively disbanding a brains trust which had dominated the sport in recent years.

Article continues under video

Now we have the first signs of the team reacting to those losses, with two major internal promotions being announced in Milton Keynes.

Waterhouse takes on big role reporting to Waché

Effective immediately, Ben Waterhouse is taking on an expanded role as Chief Performance and Design Engineer. In this position, he will oversee both the design and vehicle performance teams, reporting directly to Technical Director Pierre Waché.

Waterhouse joined Red Bull in 2014 coming from BMW-Sauber, initially serving as Deputy Technical Director at Scuderia Toro Rosso and later as Head of Performance Engineering at Oracle Red Bull Racing since 2017. His promotion strengthens the collaboration between departments and is expected to accelerate the development of innovative, high-performance solutions.

Former Ferrari star Andrea Landi takes on new role

Additionally, starting July 1, Andrea Landi will begin his new role as Head of Performance, reporting to Waterhouse.

Landi brings extensive Formula 1 experience from his previous roles as Deputy Head of Vehicle Performance at Ferrari and Deputy Technical Director at VCARB. His expertise is set to boost the team’s performance capabilities even further. These changes underline the team’s long-term technical ambitions by nurturing internal talent and incorporating top-tier expertise from the sport.

Waterhouse, a member of the Red Bull Racing team since 2017, now leads alongside Landi who transitions from sister team Racing Bulls. Rather than recruiting externally, the team has opted to promote and reshuffle roles from within its own ranks.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Gianpiero Lambiase