Overview
- Lambiase will leave Red Bull for McLaren no later than 2028 to become chief racing officer, and he remains for now as Red Bull’s head of racing and Max Verstappen’s race engineer, the trackside lead who runs the driver’s setup and radio.
- McLaren says he will report to team principal Andrea Stella to strengthen race-team leadership, which signals added support rather than a change at the top.
- The Race and other outlets say the “no later than 2028” phrasing could open talks for an earlier release or a period of gardening leave, though neither team has announced any change.
- Ralf Schumacher has speculated about a Verstappen switch to McLaren or a swap involving Oscar Piastri moving to Red Bull, but these scenarios remain unconfirmed and are presented as opinion.
- Jos Verstappen said Max encouraged Lambiase to seize the role and is unlikely to leave solely because of it, as Red Bull faces a poor start with an “undriveable” RB22, rising pressure on technical boss Pierre Wache, and a run of senior exits.