The list of talent leaks from Red Bull Racing does not seem to stop and this time the blow would reach the closest core of Max Verstappen through the figure of Gianpiero Lambiase, the iconic race engineer and right-hand man of the four-time world champion, who would have decided to end his time in the Austrian team to join the ranks of McLaren.

The information was first reported by the Dutch newspaper Telegraafand then confirmed to Motorsport.com by sources with knowledge of the situation.

The move will not happen immediately, especially since Lambiase, 45, maintains a contractual relationship with Red Bull until the end of 2027, just one year before Verstappen’s contract with the Austrian team ends. Given this, Lambiase would only arrive in Woking in 2028.

Lambiase’s decision, which not only responds to a professional challenge, but also to an economic proposal that has been described as astronomical. McLaren is rumored to have managed to beat off interest from other teams such as Aston Martin and Williams by offering a salary several times their current income in Milton Keynes.

Restructuring in Woking and crisis in Milton Keynes

Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

At McLaren, Lambiase, who not only performs the job of Verstappen’s race engineer but also a broader on-track role as head of racing at Red Bull, would support team principal Andrea Stella in a senior on-track role.

With Stella being part of the new generation of team managers with an engineering background and a wide reach both over a race weekend and in the factory, Lambiase’s arrival would help alleviate some of the burden on the Italian as he manages a team with well over 1,000 employees.

However, speculation that Lambiase’s move is part of a long-term plan to succeed Stella, amid Ferrari’s alleged interest in its former engineer, is considered misplaced.

The move would follow a similar plan to that made by former Red Bull strategy chief Will Courtenay, who also had to wait until the start of this season to join McLaren. Lambiase could still join McLaren before 2028 if both teams agree to an early release.

Previously, Red Bull also lost design chief Rob Marshall, who joined the papaya team. Other senior figures to have departed Red Bull in recent years include technical chief Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, while long-serving CEO Christian Horner and adviser Helmut Marko have also left the team in the last nine months.

Lambiase’s imminent departure from Red Bull comes in the context of Verstappen, a four-time world champion, who is evaluating his own future in the category, having been disenchanted with the new technical regulations that will come into force in 2026. Verstappen’s current contract with Red Bull expires at the end of 2028, but it is known that the Dutchman has several exit clauses that could be activated as soon as this summer if he wanted to leave earlier.

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– The Motorsport.com team