What is next for rocked Red Bull after Lambiase's exit to McLaren?

Max Verstappen's race engineer will now be on the move, swapping Milton Keynes for Woking as McLaren officially announced his signing for the 2028 season.

For Red Bull A disappointing start to 2026, coupled with another key departure, has left plenty of questions as issues continue to hinder the Austrian team. GPblog's writers have had their say on what the future may hold for the six-time Constructors' Champions.

If you said to me at the end of the 2023 season that Red Bull Racing could be staring down the barrel of Formula 1 ignominy and drop to the midfield, it wouldn't have been a statement to ponder for a second. But just three seasons later, after Red Bull and Max Verstappen broke numerous records which may never be seen again, it's a prospect that is becoming worryingly possible.

The brain drain from Milton Keynes was expected, with many departing members moving on to higher jobs up the ranks. However, the hiring of talent has been a barren one, resulting in a disappointing machine in 2026 and a mammoth drop off after just three campaigns.

Lambiase's exit will give Red Bull and team principal Laurent Mekies another headache as they look to replace Max Verstappen's race engineer. The Dutchman is the biggest ace card in all of Formula 1, and his status at the Austrian team is paramount for their success.

Mekies is a shrewd operator, and so are Red Bull. But that can only get you so far. A seismic offseason after 2026 is in store, and it's one that could be consequential to the future of Red Bull.

The growing exodus at Red Bull is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. I mean, what appeared to be a clearing out of the problematic, power-hugging figures at the top is now spiralling into almost every department.

While staff movement and poaching rivals are a large part of the F1 scene, this could just be the start of a deeper decline for Red Bull. Lambiase is on his way out; certainly, this has a huge impact on Verstappen’s future. Will he stay beyond 2027? Who steps into Lambiase’s role, and more importantly, can they build the same level of trust and understanding with Verstappen?

I think it honestly has to be said: Laurent Mekies has a heavy task to keep the whole house happy – one I don’t envy one bit. I hope he is able to steady this shop and keep Red Bull as competitive as they are known to be, but the outlook, from my perspective, is increasingly uncertain. It could be downhill from here, sadly.

Laurent Mekies’ arrival last summer looked to have steadied a ship that was veering increasingly off course, with early on-track results appearing to validate the Frenchman’s more measured approach. But since then, performance and the internal mood have clearly drifted apart, and the news of Lambiase’s departure only reinforces the sense of a Red Bull structure being steadily hollowed out at the top - one that now feels closer to the end of its cycle.

Following the exits of Marshall, Wheatley, Newey, Horner, Marko and a host of other influential figures, it is hard to ignore the possibility that Verstappen could be next. The Dutchman has grown increasingly disillusioned with Formula 1’s new era and, so far, has not even had the consolation of a genuinely competitive car this season.

If he were to walk away as well, it could spark a collapse unlike anything seen in recent years - particularly in terms of how quickly it could unfold. As ever, the four-time world champion will hold the key.

It’ll be the end of an era regardless of what the Dutchman decides to do next, ‘GP’ and Verstappen are F1’ ‘old married couple,’ one’s yin to the other’s yang. Aside from Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington and Lewis Hamilton, there hasn’t been a more statistically dominant race engineer and driver pairing in the sport’s history.

Attention will understandably be focused on Verstappen’s next steps, but it should not be lost that Red Bull is losing a massive figure in his own right in Lambiase. Milton Keynes will not have been an easy place to be for the last couple of years, certainly not as Verstappen’s race engineer, but he has still shown why McLaren and, reportedly, Aston Martin have been after him, all the while being tipped for more senior roles in the future too.

Even more intriguing, however, is the question of where Verstappen will be if he stays in or returns to the sport. At 28, does a Red Bull rebuild without Marko or ‘GP’ by his side really seem likely? Is the door still even open at Mercedes while Antonelli and Russell sit at the top of the standings? Or could ‘papaya rules’ see its biggest test yet in the event of Verstappen following Lambiase to McLaren?