Overview
- Red Bull has confirmed that Tom Hart, Verstappen’s performance engineer since 2020, is set to take over race‑engineer duties and is expected to be formally in the role for the start of the 2027 season with selected stand‑ins during 2026.
- Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s long‑time race engineer, confirmed in April that he will leave Red Bull to join McLaren as chief racing officer no later than 2028, creating the vacancy Hart will fill.
- Hart had been linked with a move to Williams to work with Alex Albon but reports say that decision was reversed after Red Bull negotiated to retain him.
- Team principal Laurent Mekies publicly stressed that many staff linked with exits have stayed and that some considered moves have been called off, framing the promotion as part of an internal plan to limit disruption.
- Verstappen’s current dip in form and ongoing contract questions increase scrutiny of the handover, so the timing of Hart’s full takeover will hinge on when Lambiase’s gardening‑leave period begins and how early Hart’s stand‑in opportunities go.