When is Max Verstappen’s engineer leaving Red Bull for McLaren? Zak Brown hints it could be sooner than expected
McLaren boss Zak Brown has dropped a major hint about when Gianpiero Lambiase will arrive from Red Bull.
Zak Brown has dropped a major hint that Max Verstappen’s longtime Formula 1 race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase could join McLaren as early as 2027.
The British engineer, who has worked alongside Verstappen throughout his entire Red Bull career spanning the past decade, was initially expected to join McLaren in 2028.
But McLaren CEO Brown has suggested that Lambiase could make the switch from Milton Keynes to Woking as soon as next year.
“I’m optimistic we’ll see him in papaya at some point next year,” Brown told Sky Sports F1.
“Very excited with everything that we’ve got going on at the factory. The men and women have been doing a great job. We’ve made a lot of gains this year from what was a very tough start to the year, but I feel like we’re on top of things now.
“Drivers are driving great, and you know, exciting, exciting times.”
It recently emerged that McLaren was ramping up its efforts to bring in Lambiase earlier than planned, with discussions held between the two camps in the past few months.
Red Bull has already been preparing for the eventuality of Lambiase leaving at some point in 2027, with Tom Hart stepping in to serve as Verstappen’s race engineer in some practice sessions this season.
Hart is expected to succeed Lambiase as Verstappen’s race engineer.
Red Bull has also signed former Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough to become its head of racing in 2027.
McLaren’s original announcement about the signing of Lambiase referenced that he would join the reigning world champions “no later than 2028”.
"McLaren Racing is pleased to announce that GianPiero Lambiase will join the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team as Chief Racing Officer, reporting to Team Principal, Andrea Stella,” McLaren’s statement read.
“The role of the chief racing officer already exists within the team’s structure, with overall leadership of the race team. These duties are currently managed by Andrea Stella in addition to his role as team principal. Lambiase is the latest hire designed to strengthen and support the talent pool that exists at McLaren Mastercard, while also reaffirming the team’s long-term commitment to confirming its position as a Championship-winning team.
"The team’s ability to attract and secure top talent, like Lambiase, and previously Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, alongside the retention and promotion of highly-talented people already within the team, is a testament to the strategic vision and culture that are integrally embodied in the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, who are also both on long-term contracts.
"The team look forward to welcoming GianPiero Lambiase when his existing contract ends, no later than 2028."
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