Jos Verstappen gives blunt explanation for 'GP' Lambiase McLaren move
Photo: Race Pictures
19:01, 20 Apr
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Max Verstappen's father, Jos, has delivered a rather blunt response on social media to Andrea Stella's comments on securing Gianpiero Lambiase's move to McLaren in 2028.
Verstappen's trusted race engineer Lambiase, also known as 'GP', will move to the papaya team "no later" than 2028 to become McLaren's Chief Racing Officer.
The move adds to a growing list of high-profile figures to leave the Milton Keynes-based team, including Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Helmut Marko.
Verstappen himself has already reacted to the news, revealing that 'GP' had sought his approval, and that he told his engineer of ten years that he'd "be daft not to take it."
He told Viaplay: "We’ve already achieved everything together and then he gets such a fantastic offer, especially with his family in mind and the security it would bring him.
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"He asked me for my approval, so to speak, and I told him he absolutely had to go for it. He really wanted to hear that from me."
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Jos Verstappen delivers blunt social media explanation for Lambiase exit
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Verstappen Sr., who had already told RaceXpress that the camp had "known for a while" and told 'GP' to grab the "huge" opportunity "with both hands," has now given a blunt response to McLaren boss Stella's reaction to the move.
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Former Benetton driver Jos posted underneath an X (formerly Twitter) post from Dutch publication Formule.nl, which read: "McLaren team principal Andrea Stella knows exactly why Gianpiero Lambiase will trade Red Bull for his team after 2027. According to the Italian, the race engineer's move shows how attractive McLaren has become for "the best talents in Formula 1."
Verstappen's father, never shy to voice his opinion, simply responded the post: "Because they're offering him a lot of money."
It should be said that exact details of Lambiase's future contract with McLaren are not publicly known, although team principal Stella has said his arrival will add a "great amount of potential to the team for the long term."
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McLaren happy to add the 'icing on the cake' with the signing of GP Lambiase
Speaking to the McLaren website, Stella added that Lambiase's 2028 arrival is the "classic icing on a cake that already has all the right ingredients in the first place."
As Chief Racing Officer, Lambiase will be taking over responsibilities currently held by Stella alongside his team principal role, with the Italian boss further explaining why the time was right to make the change.
"Zak [Brown] and I have built a flat team structure, in which it is essential to ensure all leaders are properly empowered, but at the same time, we must guarantee there is always the necessary level of long-term support.
"It goes without saying that, with this approach, the dual role I currently hold could not be sustainable in the long run."
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