Max Verstappen’s longtime race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, will leave Red Bull when his current contract expires in 2028, with the Briton set to join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer.
Lambiase, known to many as GP, has worked alongside Verstappen since the Dutch driver was promoted to the team from the then-named Toro Rosso outfit in 2016. Since then, the pair have experienced numerous highs and lows together.
A Red Bull statement read: “Oracle Red Bull Racing confirms that Gianpiero Lambiase will leave the team in 2028, when his current contract expires. ‘GP’ is a valued member of the team, which he joined in 2015.
“Until his planned departure, ‘GP’ continues in his roles as Head of Racing and as race engineer to Max Verstappen. The team and he are fully committed to adding more success to our strong track record together.”
Lambiase is not the only key figure to move from Red Bull to McLaren in recent years. Rob Marshall became Technical Director, Engineering & Design, in 2024, while Will Courtenay began his role as Sporting Director at the start of 2026.
When Lambiase joins McLaren, he will take on the role of Chief Racing Officer, a move intended to relieve some of the responsibilities currently managed by Team Principal Andrea Stella.
A McLaren statement read: “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.
“The role of Chief Racing Officer already exists within the team’s structure and provides 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 solidifying its position as a championship-winning team.
“The team’s ability to attract and secure top talent, such as Lambiase — along with previous hires Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay — alongside the retention and promotion of highly talented people already within the organization, is a testament to the strategic vision and culture embodied within the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, both of whom are also on long-term contracts.
“The team looks forward to welcoming Gianpiero Lambiase when his existing contract ends, no later than 2028.”
Lambiase began his Formula 1 career as a data engineer with the Jordan team in 2005. He later became a race engineer during the squad’s time as Force India before moving to Red Bull in 2015.
Initially serving in the same role for Daniil Kvyat, it was in 2016, when Verstappen joined the team, that Lambiase’s partnership with the four-time world champion began.
More recently, he also took on the role of Head of Racing at Red Bull while continuing as Verstappen’s race engineer.
However, his time with the team is now set to come to a close, with Red Bull first confirming his departure in 2028 before McLaren announced that he would join the Woking-based squad.