Verstappen Future Unaffected by Lambiase Exit as Red Bull Faces F1 Engine Concerns

Posted : 28 April 2026

Max Verstappen’s decision about his long-term future in Formula 1 will not be influenced by the upcoming departure of his trusted race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, according to Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies. Lambiase, who has worked closely with Verstappen since 2016, is set to leave the team to take up a senior role at McLaren by 2028 at the latest.

Mekies emphasised that Lambiase’s exit is not part of Verstappen’s considerations regarding his future in the sport, despite ongoing frustrations from the Dutch driver over the current generation of hybrid power units introduced this season. He stressed that Verstappen remains deeply integrated within the team and fully understands its internal dynamics.

He added that in a successful organisation like Red Bull, not every member can be retained indefinitely, and personnel changes are a natural part of Formula 1’s competitive environment. Mekies also confirmed that he speaks regularly with Verstappen, who remains closely connected to the team’s operations.

Verstappen has previously voiced concerns about the new power unit regulations, particularly the near 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power, which he believes has negatively affected the driving experience. Drivers have also raised issues over energy management during qualifying and unpredictable speed differences during racing.

Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Mekies acknowledged that recent regulatory adjustments are a step in the right direction, though not a complete solution. He explained that the changes aim to improve driving consistency and reduce extreme energy deployment differences between cars, while maintaining competitive balance.

Discussions within Formula 1 are also ongoing regarding further “hardware changes” to the engines, including a potential shift toward a higher proportion of internal combustion power in future seasons. This could alter the current performance balance and reduce compromises for drivers and chassis design.

Meanwhile, Red Bull are introducing a significant upgrade package in Miami after a challenging start to the season. The team has struggled to match front-runners, with Verstappen currently ninth in the standings, and is aiming to close a performance gap estimated at around one second per lap.

Mekies admitted that while progress has been made, Red Bull are still behind rivals in both power unit and chassis performance. However, he expressed cautious optimism that the latest upgrades will provide greater consistency and help narrow the gap, even if they do not completely solve all existing issues.

Verstappen Future Unaffected by Lambiase Exit as Red Bull Faces F1 Engine Concerns

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