Scott Gulbransen
The paddock’s worst-kept secret just became official. McLaren has confirmed the signing of Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer and the man behind four world championships, as the team’s new Chief Racing Officer. He’ll join McLaren officially in 2028.
This is a massive move. Not just for McLaren, but for the entire grid.
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Why Lambiase’s Move to McLaren Could Be Big Sign
Lambiase, 45, has been Verstappen’s only race engineer since the Dutch driver arrived at Red Bull in 2016. The two have built one of the most successful partnerships in Formula 1 history, and Verstappen himself has been clear about what Lambiase means to him. After his first title in 2021, he told Ziggo Sport flat out that if GP stops, he stops too.
So yeah. This complicates things.
McLaren confirmed Lambiase will become head of race engineering at the team, with sources close to the organization indicating team principal Andrea Stella’s role remains unchanged. Stella, who joined from Ferrari in 2015 and took the top job in 2023, has guided McLaren to back-to-back constructors’ titles. Lambiase slots in above the engineering structure, not through it.
He reportedly turned down an offer from Aston Martin to become their team principal before McLaren came in with the more attractive package. That says something about where McLaren is right now and where they’re headed.
This is also part of a bigger pattern. Lambiase follows Rob Marshall, who joined McLaren as technical director in 2024, and Will Courtenay, who joined this year as sporting director, both of whom are former Red Bull team members. The Woking outfit is essentially rebuilding Red Bull’s brain trust under papaya colors. Piece by piece.
The elephant in the room, of course, is Verstappen. He’s already said publicly he’s weighing whether to leave F1 at the end of this season, despite a Red Bull contract running through 2028. Losing Lambiase doesn’t make that decision any easier.
Both Red Bull and McLaren declined to comment beyond McLaren’s official announcement. But the silence from Milton Keynes speaks plenty loudly on its own.
The 2026 season is already complicated enough. Now this.
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