Max Verstappen told to block Lambiase McLaren transfer: 'Money changes everything'

Max Verstappen has been told to try and block his long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase leaving Red Bull for McLaren.

The 28-year-old Dutchman finally committed his long-term future to the Milton Keynes team last Thursday by signing a blockbusting contract extension through to 2030.

The deal, which will reportedly see the four-time world champion pocket an annual base salary of $107million, means Verstappen is now the future of the team as well as its present.

Keeping Verstappen was also hugely important for Red Bull after the talent drain which has seen the likes of Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall leave in the past 24 months.

Lambiase - long-time Verstappen race engineer and the Dutchman's closest remaining ally from those Red Bull glory years - would appear to be next out of the door after it was announced on April 9 that he is to join McLaren.

The 45-year-old Englishman is due to start wearing papaya not later than 2028 when he becomes the team's Chief Racing Offer, reporting in to team principal Andrea Stella.

But while it might appear to be a completely done deal, one F1 insider believes all is not yet lost for Verstappen and Red Bull.

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Can Max Verstappen stop Lambiase exit?

Speaking to Cameron Cc on YouTube, he said: "It's an interesting point this, but now Max has decided to stay at Red Bull to 2030, I wonder how hard he's now going to be working to try to keep GP at Red Bull, and stop that deal."

While Lambiase appears to have signed for McLaren, Windsor still does not believe that needs to be the end of the matter.

"Maybe he's signed, but money changes everything doesn't it?," he continued.

"It would be hard if he'd left or he was on gardening leave or something, but he's still there - working with Max."

Max needs to go into ruthless Schumacher mode

Windsor believes Verstappen now needs to be like seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in a bid to keep Lambiase.

"One of Max's jobs now, I think, will be to try and keep GP. I say that in the context of Michael Schumacher and if Michael wanted a guy to work for him and his team at Ferrari, he got him. Doesn't matter what the contract was - he made it happen."

"I think Max has to be a little bit in that mode with GP."

The fact Lambiase's exit already appears to be a totally done deal is not the only fly in Windsor's intriguing argument, there is another one.

Recent reports suggest Aston Martin star Tom McCullough will join Red Bull to become Head of Racing, effectively replacing Lambiase in that role.

Meanwhile the team has reportedly chose another Englishman Tom Hart to replace Lambiase as Verstappen's new race engineer.

While the Lambiase McLaren announcement said he would join 'no later than 2028', that did leave the door open for him to exit Red Bull after this season to start his new role in 2027. But that of course would need agreement with Red Bull.

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