When Verstappen said: “Losing Lambiase? It would be difficult to accept”

Market shock The news that is destined to cause enormous disruption in the Formula 1 paddock was published this morning by the Dutch newspapers De Telegraaf and De Limburger: Giampiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull to join McLaren, where he would have been promised the role of team principal in place of Andrea Stella, given up on his exit from Woking and perhaps destined for a sensational return to Ferrari. But in all this, what will become of Max Verstappen? Last September, in a video interview released on the social channels of the Red Bull team, the Dutchman expressed himself in these terms towards his race engineer, with whom the relationship over the years has evolved from professional to a truly close friendship: “If you told me now that I have to change race engineer I think it would be very difficult to accept, precisely because I have an excellent relationship with my engineer – commented the four-time world champion – I almost don’t need to talk because he knows exactly what I need or what I want from the car. And I think you can also hear it on the radio. Of course, every now and then we exchange some heated comments, but I think in reality [le cose] work really well for us. In the most difficult situations in the race we always manage to get the most.” Retirement, staying in Red Bull or… The Dutchman is already very tempted, by his own admission, to leave Red Bull and F1 in general due to these new technical regulations that he doesn’t like at all. Lambiase’s farewell could represent a further push in this sense and convince him to dedicate himself completely to other categories. It should be remembered that Verstappen has an agreement with Red Bull valid until the end of the 2028 season, but clauses in his contract could almost certainly allow him to release himself at the end of this year. Of course, in some races last year Verstappen didn’t have Lambiase at his side (the Italian-English engineer was absent for personal reasons) and he still got on very well with his replacement Simon Rennie. Therefore, the possibility that the #3 could decide to try to continue his career in Red Bull – or perhaps in another team, completely changing the scene – with another engineer cannot be ruled out. at his side. At the moment, the option – this truly explosive one – of a transfer to McLaren for Max himself also seems less likely. Both the Dutchman and Zak Brown had admitted contact between the parties occurred during the winter of 2024 but ended in nothing. Furthermore, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have contracts in place with the Woking team until the end of the 2028 season. What is certain is that in this crazy F1 market no solution can be categorically ruled out at the moment.