Jos Verstappen bluntly reveals why Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving Red Bull

Max Verstappen, Gianpiero Lambiase, generic, Red Bull, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Jos Verstappen bluntly reveals why Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving Red Bull

Max Verstappen will lose his F1 race engineer to McLaren

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 20 April 2026 10:55

The father of four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, Jos Verstappen, has hinted at the reason Gianpiero 'GP' Lambiase left Red Bull in a cheeky social media post.

It was recently announced that Verstappen's race engineer of 10 years Lambiase, would be leaving Red Bull to take on the role of chief racing officer at McLaren, where he will support team principal Andrea Stella.

Lambiase is expected to see out his contract at Red Bull and join McLaren for the 2028 season, with the Verstappen camp revealing they already knew about his decision to leave before it was announced.

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Reacting to the announcement, Verstappen said: "He told me about the offer he received. 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."

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

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Verstappen Sr on Lambiase exit

Jos Verstappen also reacted to the news, stating: "We have known for a while, and we also knew when it was going to happen.

"We still have a year and a half to two years to work with him. It is a huge opportunity for him. We have also said that we understand and that he has to do it. As for the rest, it is up to Red Bull to replace him."

However, the Dutch racing driver also offered more insight into Lambiase's departure on social media. A post from Dutch publication Formule.nl read: "McLaren team principal Andrea Stella knows exactly why Giapiero Lambiase will trade Red Bull for his team after 2027. According to the Italian, the race engineer's move shows how attractive McLaren has become for "the best talents in Formula 1."

To this an X account, long believed to be Jos Verstappen's, commented bluntly underneath: "Because they're offering him a lot of money."

The exact details of Lambiase's contract is unknown, including how long he will work at McLaren and his salary.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Jos Verstappen Gianpiero Lambiase