F1 Today: Verstappen handed big Lambiase news, F1 team makes changes to launch date

Gian Piero Lambiase will continue in his role as Max Verstappen’s race engineer at Red Bull Racing, despite a recent wave of links to several other Formula 1 teams.

The 45-year-old has formed one of F1’s most formidable driver–engineer partnerships alongside the four-time world champion and is set to remain with the Milton Keynes outfit.

Lambiase had recently been linked with potential moves elsewhere following the conclusion of the season, but GPblog confirmed that the race engineer will stay at Red Bull Racing.

“GP,” as he is fondly called, was linked to several teams, including Aston Martin, which reportedly offered him a shot at a more senior role within the Silverstone-based outfit.

In another development, the Haas F1 outfit has announced a major tweak to the launch date of its 2026 challenger. The American outfit, which was originally scheduled to unveil its car on 23 January, opted to bring its launch forward to 19 January.

In its statement, the team, which welcomed the partnership with Toyota, highlighted the congestion of car launches by other teams, many of which had also opted for 23 January to reveal their 2026 cars.

The Haas team will have its sights set on a much-improved outing through the 2026 season after experiencing a rather topsy-turvy 2025 campaign, which culminated in an eighth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.

As the commencement of the 2026 season draws nearer, our Paddock Update is the place to be.

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