Max Verstappen’s race engineer set to join McLaren in 2028

Leading Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has agreed to join McLaren from 2028, in a move designed to strengthen the team’s race operations.

Lambiase, best known as Max Verstappen’s race engineer, will take up a role supporting McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

The exact title and responsibilities of the position have not been officially confirmed, but it is expected to relieve Stella of some trackside and racing duties, allowing him to focus more on leadership and strategic aspects.

McLaren insiders confirmed the move to BBC Sport, though neither McLaren nor Red Bull issued an official comment.

Lambiase, currently Red Bull’s head of race engineering, will become the third senior Red Bull figure to join McLaren in recent years.

Rob Marshall joined as chief designer at the start of 2024, while former Red Bull head of race strategy Will Courtenay became McLaren’s sporting director earlier this year.

Red Bull has also lost key personnel recently, including chief technical officer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, amid wider team changes following the departure of former team principal Christian Horner in July 2025.

Lambiase has worked closely with Verstappen since the Dutchman joined Red Bull in 2016 and is highly regarded for his technical expertise and trackside leadership.

Despite speculation, McLaren insiders dismissed suggestions that his recruitment signals Stellai's preparation to join Ferrari.

Lambiase will join McLaren’s race-operations structure alongside Courtenay and racing director Randy Singh, with the aim of bolstering the team’s competitiveness as Formula 1 continues to evolve.