Red Bull 2.0: Meet Max Verstappen's new F1 confidants after Gianpiero Lambiase exit

Verstappen, Hart, Lambiase, McCullough, socials — Photo: © IMAGO x GPFANS

Red Bull F1

Red Bull 2.0: Meet Max Verstappen's new F1 confidants after Gianpiero Lambiase exit

Red Bull are rebuilding around Verstappen

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 14 August 2026 09:45

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With the upcoming departure of Gianpiero Lambiase drawing ever closer by the day, Red Bull are now on the hunt for new trusted confidants for fourMax Verstappen.

The once dominant F1 team is now in rebuild mode after a significant talent drain which has seen the likes of Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko, Rob Marshall and Jonathan Wheatley all exit stage left.

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Next to leave will be Lambiase - Verstappen's closest remaining confidant at Red Bull as his race engineer throughout the Dutchman's glittering career with the team. GP has agreed to join McLaren no later than 2028, though of course that could mean 2027.

Over the years, Verstappen and Lambiase have built an incredibly close and successful relationship - built on their brutal honesty over team radio.

When GP leaves, Red Bull will not only lose a talented engineer but also their Head of Racing.

One name has already been confirmed, and another is rapidly gaining attention as Red Bull look for significant hires to restock their evolving cast in Milton Keynes.

So who are Tom Hart and Tom McCullough, the men poised to fill the void left by "GP"?

Max Verstappen's next race engineer

Preparing for the departure of Lambiase, Red Bull have already began the search for his replacement. Verstappen recently revealed in Hungary that he considers Tom Hart the ideal candidate.

“I could tell Tom really wanted to stay, just in a different role. We had an in-depth discussion around Miami, and I could see his enthusiasm for our ideas,” Verstappen said during an interview with Viaplay.

Hart is no stranger to the Red Bull Racing environment, even though he wasn’t part of the team from its inception in 2005. The Englishman joined in 2012 and has taken on several roles since then. Serving as Performance Engineer since 2020, he is already an integral member of Verstappen’s engineering team - a familiar voice who would not be entirely new to the Dutch driver.

Tom Hart could be Verstappen's next race engineer.

Tom McCullough new Head of Racing?

In addition to his work with Verstappen, Lambiase also serves as Head of Racing. While nothing has been officially confirmed, several insiders are pointing towards Tom McCullough as his likely successor. McCullough is is expected to leave Aston Martin by the end of 2026 and eventually join Verstappen and co at Red Bull.

At Aston Martin, McCullough held various roles related to the cars, focusing on adjustments that help drivers better feel the vehicle’s character.