Jos Verstappen Comments on Lambiase’s Move to McLaren
Jos Verstappen has given his thoughts on GianPiero Lambiase's move to McLaren, suggesting Max will manage just fine without his long-time engineer. Meanwhile, McLaren's Zak Brown is thrilled about the new addition to their team.
In the world of Formula 1, personnel moves can be as intriguing as the on-track action, and McLaren's latest signing is no exception. The team announced that GianPiero Lambiase, the race engineer who has been a key figure in Max Verstappen's successes at Red Bull, will be joining their ranks as chief racing officer by 2028. This news has stirred up quite a bit of chatter, including a notable response from Max's father, Jos Verstappen.
Jos, known for his candid remarks, revealed that he was aware of Lambiase's impending switch to McLaren for some time. Interestingly, he mentioned that Max's camp had been encouraging Lambiase to seize the opportunity with both hands. Despite Max having previously hinted at retiring if he ever parted ways with Lambiase, Jos seems unfazed by the change, suggesting that Max will simply "carry on" without him.
McLaren's CEO, Zak Brown, has expressed excitement about Lambiase's arrival, seeing it as a significant boost for the team. Brown is optimistic about what they can achieve together and is keen on integrating Lambiase's expertise into McLaren's setup. Lambiase's move follows in the footsteps of other Red Bull alumni who have transitioned to McLaren, including Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay.
Elsewhere in the paddock, Lewis Hamilton has been busy with a private Pirelli tyre test at Fiorano, using the Ferrari SF-26. The test is part of Ferrari's artificial wet tyre development, coinciding with similar tests conducted by Red Bull at Suzuka. Meanwhile, Mercedes and McLaren are set to head to the Nurburgring for more tyre testing, marking the first time since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix that current F1 cars will run on the German track.
In other news, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll has been getting pointers from Max Verstappen ahead of his GT3 debut. Stroll will race at Paul Ricard, sharing an Aston Martin Vantage with former F1 driver Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya. This follows Verstappen's own impressive performance in a recent GT3 appearance.
Finally, the FIA has issued an update following the initial round of talks regarding potential tweaks to the 2026 F1 regulations. The discussions reportedly involved "constructive dialogue on difficult topics," focusing on refining aspects of energy management to enhance the racing experience.
As the F1 circus continues its relentless march, these developments add intriguing subplots to the season, both on and off the track.