F1 News: Red Bull 'set to land' Gianpiero Lambiase replacement after Aston Martin exit

Max Verstappen, Gianpiero Lambiase, generic, 2026, Red Bull — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull 'set to land' Gianpiero Lambiase replacement after Aston Martin exit

It's going to be hard to say goodbye to GP!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Friday 7 August 2026 18:45

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It isn't easy to replace someone who's been in your organisation for a long time, but that's exactly what Red Bull are being forced to do right now as they work to deal with the impending departure of Gianpiero Lambiase.

Lambiase is most famous among F1 fans for being Max Verstappen's long-standing (and long-suffering) race engineer, but his importance to the team runs much deeper than that.

His role evolved over the years until he reached his current role as Head of Racing with the team, which itself was an evolution from the Head of Race Engineering role he occupied from the start of last season.

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German newspaper Bild now report that Red Bull will be hiring a new Head of Race Engineering, effectively replacing a large chunk of Lambiase's role, shortly – with Tom McCullough preparing to join up. GPFans has contacted Red Bull for comment.

Red Bull pick out Lambiase replacement

McCullough has been at Aston Martin in its various guises (Racing Point, Force India) for over a decade, but it was reported by F1.com earlier this week that he will be leaving the team at the end of the season.

That should time nicely with Lambiase's long-announced departure for McLaren for the 2028 season, with the possibility – if the veteran engineer is not simply put on gardening leave to limit how much information he will have about the team's development – of a proper handover to start the new era.

While McCollough has served as a race engineer in the past, most notably at Williams for Nico Hulkenberg, Rubens Barrichello and Bruno Senna, he hasn't filled that role for more than a decade, and it's not reported that he'll replace that part of Lambiase's job.

Red Bull have undergone some significant personnel changes over the last couple of seasons, with stalwarts Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey all out the door, joined by a handful of other key team members – including, soon, Lambiase.

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F1 Red Bull Aston Martin Gianpiero Lambiase