Verstappen’s past Lambiase warning now puts Red Bull on edge

News that the four-time champion’s race engineer will leave the Milton Keynes outfit at the end of next year to join McLaren in a major career move landed like a bolt from the blue on Thursday - and questions are already being asked about the potential fallout from such a switch.

Lambiase is only the tip of the iceberg in a long line of key figures to have left the Milton Keynes outfit over the years, underlining a historic cycle that helped make Red Bull what it is today but now appears to be drawing to a close.

In a past interview with Ziggo back in 2021, Verstappen made it abundantly clear that if his long-time race engineer ever walked away, he would follow suit.

“I told him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too,” were his brief but unequivocal words, which have unsurprisingly started doing the rounds again across social media following today’s news.

The Dutchman remains under contract with Red Bull until 2028, but since the introduction of the new regulations he has grown increasingly frustrated with both the cars and the way racing is evolving - to the point of seriously considering retirement in recent weeks.

GPblog has learned that Lambiase is poised to take over as team principal at McLaren from 2028, in a blockbuster move that will see Andrea Stella return to Ferrari in the same position.

The reshuffle is expected to set off a significant domino effect across the F1 paddock, with two of the sport’s leading teams undergoing a complete change of leadership. McLaren would be placing its trust in Lambiase not just as a senior figure, but as the man to lead the entire operation.

As for Stella, his switch back to Maranello marks a homecoming. The Italian spent over a decade inside Ferrari between 2000 and 2014, building his reputation across several roles, including as race engineer to Fernando Alonso during the Scuderia’s title battles with Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull.