GianPiero Lambiase set to join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer after Red Bull exit

Core summary McLaren announced that GianPiero Lambiase, Red Bull’s head of racing and Max Verstappen’s race engineer, will join the team as Chief Racing Officer, reporting directly to Team Principal Andrea Stella. He will assume the role by the end of his current Red Bull contract, which runs through 2028. The hire signals McLaren’s intent to bolster its race‑day leadership as it chases a return to the top of the championship.

Why it matters:

Lambiase brings a rare blend of technical expertise and race‑day decision‑making that helped Red Bull dominate in recent seasons. His move gives McLaren a proven operational mind, while Red Bull must replace a key figure in its winning formula. The shift also fuels speculation about the stability of Verstappen’s engineer partnership and the broader strategic direction of both teams.

The details:

• New role – Chief Racing Officer at McLaren, overseeing all race‑team operations and reporting to Andrea Stella, who retains the team‑principal title.
• Timing – Lambiase will join no later than the start of the 2028 season, after his Red Bull contract expires.
• Background – Joined Red Bull in 2015, became Verstappen’s race engineer in 2022, and was promoted to head of racing in late‑2024.
• Red Bull confirmation – The team confirmed his departure in 2028 and noted he will continue as race engineer and head of racing until then.
• McLaren’s rationale – The appointment “strengthens the talent pool and reaffirms the team’s long‑term commitment to becoming a championship‑winning outfit.”
• Reunited colleagues – Lambiase will work alongside former Red Bull staff Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, now part of McLaren’s technical crew.
• Implications for Verstappen – With his long‑time race engineer leaving, the Dutch champion’s future partnership—and possibly his own F1 future—has become a hot topic.

What’s next:

McLaren expects Lambiase to shape race‑day strategy and could eventually be groomed as a successor to Stella as team principal. Red Bull will need to promote or recruit a new head of racing and reshuffle its engineering lineup, leaving Verstappen to adapt to a new race engineer. The transition will be watched closely as both teams aim to solidify their positions in the tightly contested 2024‑2025 championship battles.