Max Verstappen gets new Red Bull race engineer as Gianpiero Lambiase exits

Max Verstappen’s race engineer set to change hands at Red Bull

Max Verstappen is set to get a new race engineer at Red Bull after the team named Tom Hart to replace Gianpiero Lambiase.

What happened?

Red Bull has appointed Hart to take over from Lambiase, who is leaving for McLaren to become the team’s chief racing officer from 2028. The move was confirmed by respected Dutch journalist Erik van Haren in De Telegraaf.

Hart, Verstappen’s performance engineer since 2020, had agreed to join Williams earlier this year. But Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies and Williams counterpart James Vowles reached a deal to keep him at Red Bull instead.

Why it matters for Max Verstappen

Verstappen’s own future remains unclear amid speculation he could follow Lambiase to McLaren. His contract runs until the end of 2028, but includes a clause letting him leave at year’s end if he chooses.

Verstappen has stayed quiet on the rumors. His manager, Raymond Vermeulen, said the 28-year-old intends to honor his Red Bull deal through 2028. Even if Verstappen leaves, Hart would still step into the race engineer role.

At the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen said he was happy for Lambiase. “I was very happy for him,” Verstappen said. “We are still working together this year, next year. Times change in your career and that was a really good opportunity for him so I’m happy for him.”

What comes next?

Lambiase’s exit leaves a decade-long partnership with Verstappen in the race engineer seat. Red Bull now turns to Hart, who has worked with Verstappen since 2020.

Verstappen’s future will stay in focus until the end of the season. Any move would hinge on his performance clause, which allows him to leave at year’s end despite his contract running through 2028.

For now, Red Bull keeps its leadership trio intact: Mekies leading the team, Hart moving up to race engineer, and Verstappen still in the driver’s seat. The Dutch outfit aims to keep pushing forward with its current lineup through the final years of Verstappen’s deal.