Red Bull swoop to sign Ferrari legend after mass exodus of top F1 talent

F1 giants Red Bull have signed Ferrari legend Gino Rosato as the team looks to restock after losing a host of top names.

The Milton Keynes looks nothing like the juggernaut which claimed eight drivers' titles during Christian Horner's glorious two-decade reign in Milton Keynes.

During the last two years Horner, along with the likes of Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko, Rob Marshall and Jonathan Wheatley have all either left the team.

Red Bull are also still coming to terms with the recent news that Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving for a bigger role at McLaren, no later than 2028.

Now though the team is actually making a signing rather than losing another key name, with Rosato joining as a freelance consultant per Erik van Haren of respected Dutch outlet De Telegraaf.

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Red Bull sign Gino Rosato as a consultant

Rosato, who is present in the paddock for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, will bolster Red Bull's technical and operational setup. His appointment comes as part of a wider restructuring under Horner's team principal replacement Laurent Mekies.

Rosato is expected to be on the ground for Red Bull for between 8 and 10 race weekends for the rest of 2026.

Close ties with the Verstappens

Another crucial factor in Rosato's signing is his apparent close links with the Verstappen family - particularly Max's father Jos. Their friendship was forged partly through mutual acquaintances including Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher.

Having somebody in the team who has a strong relationships with the Verstappens is notable given the recent speculation surrounding Max's future in the sport.

So who is Gino Rosato? His career so far

Rosato began his motorsport career in 1991 as a part-time logistics worker at Ferrari and joined full-time in 1997. His versatility quickly made him an indispensable figure at Maranello during the Italian team’s golden years. After a stint as vice president at Lotus, he returned to Ferrari’s management in 2014 and remained until 2023.

Over his lengthy career, Rosato built strong relationships not only with the Verstappen family but also with other big names in the sport. He is godfather to Robin, son of Kimi Räikkönen (the last driver to clinch a championship for Ferrari in 2007). This weekend, Rosato officially returns to the sport in his hometown of Montreal, coinciding with the debut sprint weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

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