Gianpiero Lambiase

Red Bull and McLaren held talks following comments by team principal Laurent Mekies about Gianpiero Lambiase's move to the papaya squad in 2028. McLaren confirmed Lambiase will serve as Chief Racing Officer reporting to Andrea Stella.

April 17, 2026 Reported by AI

Max Verstappen has backed his long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase's decision to join McLaren as chief racing officer in 2028, following last week's announcement. Lambiase consulted Verstappen beforehand, who called it an 'incredible opportunity.' Ex-F1 driver David Coulthard foresees challenges for Red Bull in managing Lambiase until his contract ends.