Here is the thing, as Crash.net reports: the iconic pairing of Max Verstappen and race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is winding down much sooner than expected. Red Bull has officially confirmed that a transition plan is underway, and Verstappen will get his first taste of life with a new voice on the radio starting next weekend at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at COTA.
Lambiase and Verstappen have built a powerhouse relationship over the years, marked by both immense success and famously sharp radio banter as the Red Bull star became a four-time world champion. But that partnership has an expiration date, with Lambiase set to move to McLaren following the 2026 season. Discussions are currently ongoing between Red Bull and McLaren about when Lambiase can officially start at the Woking-based outfit.
To manage the transition, Red Bull will install Tom Hart as Verstappen’s race engineer for next year, beginning early with the upcoming rounds in the United States, Brazil, and Las Vegas. Hart was actually due to join Williams and Alex Albon, but reports indicate he was swayed to stay after Verstappen expressed him as his preference.
The handover won't be immediate for every remaining race, however. Lambiase looks set to see out the season with Verstappen in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, as well as at the Mexico round. Even during the three races where Hart takes over the headset, Lambiase will still be present on-site.
Looking back, the signs might have been there already. At the Singapore Grand Prix, Red Bull sent Lambiase up to the podium as the team's representative after Verstappen won, a moment that perhaps hinted at this wider transition plan.
"I didn’t expect that," Verstappen said in the post-race press conference in Singapore, after celebrating his first win at Marina Bay. "I remember him saying to me in Vegas last year, ‘This might be the last time I stand on the podium’. I said, ‘Don’t be silly, we’re going to win together many more times’. But I think I jinxed him with that."
