Report: Verstappen's race engineer Lambiase to join McLaren

Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull to join McLaren following the conclusion of the 2027 season, sources told ESPN's Nate Saunders.

Liambiase's new role at McLaren will be a senior management position supporting team principal Andrea Stella. However, the exact title of the position is still unknown.

Lambiase has been Verstappen's race engineer since the Dutch driver's first race with the team, a record-breaking victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. That triumph made Verstappen the youngest race winner in Formula 1 history at the age of 18. The duo have partnered for 71 victories together and four consecutive drivers' championships from 2021-24.

Lambiase is just the latest departure to hit the Red Bull empire. Other exits in recent years include former senior advisor Helmut Marko, team principal Christian Horner, chief technical officer Adrian Newey, and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, among others. At McLaren, Lambiase will also reunite with former Red Bull engineer Rob Marshall and sporting director Will Courtenay.

Liambiase's exit would leave Verstappen as one of the few recognizable faces left from Red Bull's dominant era this past decade. However, the four-time world champion's own future is uncertain, with Verstappen publicly pondering an early retirement from F1 due to his dissatisfaction with the sport's new regulations and cars.