Overview
- Gianpiero Lambiase will stay as Max Verstappen’s race engineer and continue as Head of Racing in 2026, with reports noting his Red Bull deal runs through 2027.
- Team boss Laurent Mekies said he does not expect Red Bull to start 2026 with the quickest car after prioritizing 2025 problem‑solving over an early shift to the new project.
- Sergio Pérez, preparing an F1 return with Cadillac alongside Valtteri Bottas in 2026, called being Verstappen’s teammate "the worst job in Formula 1" and said the car was tailored to Verstappen’s style.
- Pérez recounted that Christian Horner acknowledged potential rapid driver turnover, saying he warned Horner "you will burn them all," to which Horner replied "yes, I know," according to Pérez’s podcast account.
- Despite Pérez’s critiques, he and Verstappen exchanged gifts over the holidays, and the seat next to Verstappen has rotated through successors with Isack Hadjar set to take it for 2026.