Internet braced for painful impact of Lambiase quitting Red Bull

The Italian-born engineer, a loyal ally of Max Verstappen since 2016 and one half of one of the most iconic partnerships in recent Formula 1 history, is now set to leave the Milton Keynes outfit - the latest in a long line of high-profile departures in recent years.

GPblog can confirm that Lambiase will take over as team principal at McLaren from 2028, while Andrea Stella is set to make the switch to Ferrari in what would effectively mark a return to Maranello.

The Italian previously spent over a decade at Ferrari between 2000 and 2014, playing a key role during the team’s golden era and becoming best known as Fernando Alonso’s race engineer before following him to McLaren.

Below are some of the reactions from fans after the news broke, with many now convinced the natural next step could be Verstappen retiring from F1 - or at the very least leaving Red Bull.

In a 2021 interview with Ziggo, Verstappen had already drawn a clear line over his future, making it known that his long-standing partnership with his race engineer would be a decisive factor in any long-term decision.

Those remarks have inevitably resurfaced following the latest developments, fuelling fresh speculation about what could lie ahead.

While the Dutchman remains under contract with Red Bull until 2028, his growing frustration with the current generation of cars and the direction of the sport has become increasingly evident - with retirement even emerging as a genuine consideration in recent weeks.

For now, neither McLaren nor Red Bull, nor Lambiase himself, have issued any comment on the matter.