McLaren open talks with Red Bull to sign Max Verstappen F1 ally for 2027

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

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McLaren open talks with Red Bull to sign Max Verstappen F1 ally for 2027

McLaren initially signed Lambiase for 2028

By Remy Ramjiawan.

Sunday 13 September 2026 09:14

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McLaren are eager to secure Max Verstappen's Red Bull F1 race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase well before 2028, according to Dutch reports.

Although a contract has already been signed for him to join in 2028, McLaren team boss Zak Brown is eager to avoid a situation where Lambiase, known as GP, spends a whole season sidelined and is pushing for an earlier move.

Teams implement a 'gardening leave' period to restrict the flow of critical information before an employee switches to a rival.

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During these final months, key staff members receive limited details, ensuring that none of the essential insights are passed on to competitors.

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McLaren in talks with Red Bull to speed up 'GP' switch

De Telegraaf indicate that team principal Brown is close to finalising an agreement with Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies to set a definitive transition date for Lambiase.

Discussions held on Friday at Brown’s office in Madrid’s paddock underline McLaren’s urgency to bring him on board well ahead of 2028, while Brown and Lambiase were seen discussing matters in the paddock.

At McLaren, Lambiase will assume the role of chief racing officer, and while the team has previously downplayed speculations, the report claims the ultimate plan is to develop him for a future team principal position.

Tom Hart to succeed GP as race engineer

Tom Hart is set to take over as Verstappen’s race engineer from Lambiase. The Brit was already heard communicating in Verstappen’s ear during a practice session at Monza, and he is expected to repeat that role in Azerbaijan.

Moreover, Hart will fully assume Verstappen’s race engineer responsibilities throughout the weekends in Austin, Sao Paulo, and Las Vegas.

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