That's right, the heavy-hitting engineering movement in Formula 1 might accelerate even faster than we thought. According to Motorsport.com, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has dropped a major update suggesting that Gianpiero Lambiase, famously known as Max Verstappen's longtime race engineer at Oracle Red Bull Racing Team, could be wearing papaya as soon as 2027.
Back in April, the McLaren Formula 1 team confirmed that Lambiase would eventually make the switch to Woking to take on the role of chief racing officer, answering directly to team principal Andrea Stella. At the time, official communications pointed to an arrival happening no later than 2028 when his existing contract ends. But speaking to Sky Sports, Brown offered a much punchier timeline. “I’m optimistic we’ll see him in papaya at some point next year,” he told the broadcaster.
Very excited with everything that we’ve got going on at the factory,
Securing a brain of this caliber is a massive statement. Lambiase has spent over 10 years working alongside the four-time champion, navigating intense grands prix and high-pressure strategy calls with cold precision. Bringing that multi-faceted racing knowledge into the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team gives them another powerhouse weapon as they battle to lock down their championship-winning status. Plus, it relieves Andrea Stella of pulling double duty, as the team principal has been managing the chief racing officer duties himself alongside his main leadership role.
This high-profile acquisition fits right into a broader technical reinforcement at Woking. Lambiase follows other major technical arrivals like Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, proving that Zak Brown and Andrea Stella are building an absolute machine of a technical department. It highlights a culture that top-tier talent actually wants to be part of.
Looking across the garage, the season hasn't been a walk in the park for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. But the latter half of the campaign has brought a sharper edge and much stronger results on track. “Very excited with everything that we’ve got going on at the factory,” Brown told Sky Sports. “The men and women have been doing a great job. We’ve made a lot of gains this year from what was a very tough start to the year, but I feel like we’re on top of things now. Drivers are driving great, and you know, exciting, exciting times.” If Lambiase arrives ahead of schedule, those exciting times might just get a whole lot wilder.
