Mekies lifts lid on Lambiase exit as McLaren pull off major coup

Lambiase, who serves as Head of Racing and race engineer for Max Verstappen at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, is set to leave at the end of the 2027 season to join rivals McLaren. Mekies was asked whether Red Bull had done enough to convince the British-Italian engineer to stay, either by offering a comparable role or matching the terms of his new deal.

In response, the Red Bull boss stressed that Lambiase remains fully committed to the team despite the announcement. He revealed that the move had been discussed internally for some time and acknowledged the scale of the opportunity presented to the 45-year-old.

“Look, at first, we have GP with us for the next two years, so we don't feel as if GP has left already because we know he has a long-term agreement with us and we have a few more wins and battles to win together. He has had an extraordinary opportunity. We respect the fact that this sort of opportunity comes once in a lifetime. He has decided to take it. As much as this has been news for you guys, it's something we've been discussing with him for a very long time. We only wish him well in that next phase. When the time comes, we will make sure we turn that into an opportunity for our people and for the skillset we want to have,” Mekies said via Sky Sports F1.

When pressed on whether Lambiase would see out the remainder of his contract, Mekies expressed full confidence in his professionalism. “GP is a fantastic professional, and we know he's going to give his absolute best, and of course, we are going to keep him,” he concluded.

Lambiase, who joined Red Bull Racing in 2015, will complete a switch to McLaren ahead of the 2028 campaign, where he is expected to take up the role of Chief Racing Officer following the end of his contract.

Earlier, Helmut Marko claimed that Red Bull have already lined up a replacement for Lambiase, who is set to leave the Milton Keynes outfit at the end of 2027. The former Red Bull advisor detailed that the team had secured a successor for him from the Ferrari outfit.

The Graz native, however, stopped short of naming the individual set to take the reins from Lambiase when he exits the Milton Keynes-based team.

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