Lambiase Could Leave Verstappen for McLaren as Soon as Next Year
Zak Brown hints that the four-time champion’s long-time engineer will don papaya earlier than the announced timeline — despite a contract that officially runs to 2028.
Over ten years on the same radio, the same crisis calls, the same “Box, box” in the tensest moments of the season. The bond between Max Verstappen and his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is the kind measured in decades, not seasons. Which is exactly why Zak Brown’s comments carry more weight than they first appear to.
Brown speaks with confidence, not speculation
McLaren’s CEO left no room for diplomatic hedging when talking to Sky Sports: “I’m optimistic we’ll see him in papaya at some point next year.” The phrasing is carefully chosen — not “I’m hoping” but “I’m optimistic.” In a world where transfer rumours usually come dressed in cautious conditionals, that confidence reads almost like an announcement.
McLaren officially confirmed Lambiase’s appointment as chief racing officer back in April this year, with clear wording: the team would welcome him “no later than 2028,” when his Red Bull contract expires. But the phrase “no later than” has always left a door open — and it now looks like an accelerated move is slipping through exactly that gap.
Why Lambiase is more than just an engineer
The chief racing officer role at McLaren is currently handled by Andrea Stella himself, alongside his job as team principal. Lambiase’s arrival would free Stella to focus specifically on running the team — while the British-Italian engineer brings over a decade of high-pressure decision-making experience from Milton Keynes.
“Very excited with everything that we’ve got going on at the factory. The men and women have been doing a great job… drivers are driving great, and exciting times,” said Brown.
McLaren’s second half of the season, after a tough start, is already showing steadier results. Adding a figure like Lambiase to the team — alongside the already-recruited Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay — isn’t a random choice but the continuation of a pattern: McLaren is buying the experience that Red Bull once built in-house.
