mclaren – Wolfnewss

McLaren celebrates F1 legacy with Miami street show ahead of first race since last month’s Japanese GP McLaren showed off its Formula One heritage with a deafening display of title-winning cars driven by champions past and present on the streets ‌of Miami on Wednesday.Reigning champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri joined double champions Mika Hakkinen and Emerson Fittipaldi in thrilling the fans ahead of what would ⁠have been a 1,000th grand prix celebration but for conflict in the Middle East.The cancellation of April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as a result of the Iran war means the milestone, achieved previously only by Ferrari, ‌will now be marked officially in Monaco in June — the race where the team founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren debuted in 1966.“We were meant, obviously, to celebrate it ‌here,” Norris told Reuters before taking his 2025 car for a spin — literally — at Regatta ‌Harbour ⁠in the Florida city’s historic Coconut Grove area.READ | Audi appoints McNish as Racing Director ahead of Miami GP “It’s nice that I’ve played a small ⁠part in that but today is also a day where you get to see all the cars, the history, the drivers that have driven for McLaren,” added the Briton. “It’s a big milestone and I’m very proud of it.”FITTIPALDI, 79, STILL AT THE WHEEL Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion from 1974, drove the M23 during the event.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS

Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion from 1974, drove the M23 during the event.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Brazilian Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion in 1974 ‌and now 79-years-old, drove a V8-engined McLaren M23 similar to the one that took the late James Hunt to the 1976 crown.“I was the first one, I made a small part of McLaren history but then McLaren has a huge history and I’m very proud to be ‌here,” Fittipaldi, who won his first title with Lotus in 1972, told Reuters.Hakkinen, the 1998 and 1999 champion, shook the ground with his V10-powered MP4-14 while Bruno Senna, nephew of Brazil’s late triple champion Ayrton, drove his uncle’s MP4/6 with its ear-splitting V12. Two-time champion Mika Hakkinen in his V10-powered MP4-14 during the event.
| Photo Credit:
Marco Bello

Two-time champion Mika Hakkinen in his V10-powered MP4-14 during the event.
| Photo Credit:
Marco Bello
Brazilian ⁠Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner, also drove an Arrow McLaren IndyCar.“To just be alongside them, even just to be able to talk to them is really cool,” said Piastri.Norris and Piastri, driving Lewis ‌Hamilton’s 2008 title-winner, then took to the track together to salute the cheering throng before interviews on a stage.“It was nice to see so many people and it was just good to have a bit of fun,” said Norris. “Normally we have to be all serious and drive properly … we don’t get to just go out and do (tyre) burnouts and stuff.“I won the championship last year and wasn’t allowed to do any burnouts. So it was nice to just let loose and have a nice ‌day out.”McLaren has won the last two Miami Grands Prix — Piastri last year and Norris in 2024 — and Sunday could complete a hat-trick although Mercedes has been dominant since the start of a new engine and rules era.The Australian was cautious in offering any prediction, however, ahead of ⁠a weekend that could also see some thunderstorms and that will also be the first test of the ⁠rules since they were tweaked.“I think last year, and even 2024, we had a really big advantage around a place like this and this year we don’t have that so ‌we’ll have to wait and see,” said Piastri.“I think it’s going to be a weekend full of changes and trying to get on top of things better than everybody else. And if we can do that then there’s still going to be opportunities to finish higher than maybe where you should.”Published on Apr 30, 2026 #McLaren #celebrates #legacy #Miami #street #show #ahead #race #months #Japanese — Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion from 1974, drove the M23 during the event. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

#McLaren #celebrates #legacy #Miami #street #show #ahead #race #months #Japanese">

April 30, 2026

Sports news

McLaren showed off its Formula One heritage with a deafening display of title-winning cars driven by champions past and present on the streets ‌of Miami on Wednesday.
Reigning champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri joined double champions Mika Hakkinen and Emerson Fittipaldi in thrilling the fans ahead of what would ⁠have been a 1,000th grand prix celebration but for conflict in the Middle East.
The cancellation of April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as a result of the Iran war means the milestone, achieved previously only by Ferrari, ‌will now be marked officially in Monaco in June — the race where the team founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren debuted in 1966.
“We were meant, obviously, to celebrate it ‌here,” Norris told Reuters before taking his 2025 car for a spin — literally — at Regatta ‌Harbour ⁠in the Florida city’s historic Coconut Grove area.
READ | Audi appoints McNish as Racing Director ahead of Miami GP
“It’s nice that I’ve played a small ⁠part in that but today is also a day where you get to see all the cars, the history, the drivers that have driven for McLaren,” added the Briton. “It’s a big milestone and I’m very proud of it.”
FITTIPALDI, 79, STILL AT THE WHEEL
Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion from 1974, drove the M23 during the event. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion from 1974, drove the M23 during the event. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Brazilian Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion in 1974 ‌and now 79-years-old, drove a V8-engined McLaren M23 similar to the one that took the late James Hunt to the 1976 crown.
“I was the first one, I made a small part of McLaren history but then McLaren has a huge history and I’m very proud to be ‌here,” Fittipaldi, who won his first title with Lotus in 1972, told Reuters.
Hakkinen, the 1998 and 1999 champion, shook the ground with his V10-powered MP4-14 while Bruno Senna, nephew of Brazil’s late triple champion Ayrton, drove his uncle’s MP4/6 with its ear-splitting V12.
Two-time champion Mika Hakkinen in his V10-powered MP4-14 during the event. | Photo Credit: Marco Bello
Two-time champion Mika Hakkinen in his V10-powered MP4-14 during the event. | Photo Credit: Marco Bello
Brazilian ⁠Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner, also drove an Arrow McLaren IndyCar.
“To just be alongside them, even just to be able to talk to them is really cool,” said Piastri.
Norris and Piastri, driving Lewis ‌Hamilton’s 2008 title-winner, then took to the track together to salute the cheering throng before interviews on a stage.
“It was nice to see so many people and it was just good to have a bit of fun,” said Norris. “Normally we have to be all serious and drive properly … we don’t get to just go out and do (tyre) burnouts and stuff.
“I won the championship last year and wasn’t allowed to do any burnouts. So it was nice to just let loose and have a nice ‌day out.”
McLaren has won the last two Miami Grands Prix — Piastri last year and Norris in 2024 — and Sunday could complete a hat-trick although Mercedes has been dominant since the start of a new engine and rules era.
The Australian was cautious in offering any prediction, however, ahead of ⁠a weekend that could also see some thunderstorms and that will also be the first test of the ⁠rules since they were tweaked.
“I think last year, and even 2024, we had a really big advantage around a place like this and this year we don’t have that so ‌we’ll have to wait and see,” said Piastri.
“I think it’s going to be a weekend full of changes and trying to get on top of things better than everybody else. And if we can do that then there’s still going to be opportunities to finish higher than maybe where you should.”
Published on Apr 30, 2026

#McLaren #celebrates #legacy #Miami #street #show #ahead #race #months #Japanese">McLaren celebrates F1 legacy with Miami street show ahead of first race since last month’s Japanese GP

McLaren showed off its Formula One heritage with a deafening display of title-winning cars driven by champions past and present on the streets ‌of Miami on Wednesday.

Reigning champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri joined double champions Mika Hakkinen and Emerson Fittipaldi in thrilling the fans ahead of what would ⁠have been a 1,000th grand prix celebration but for conflict in the Middle East.

The cancellation of April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as a result of the Iran war means the milestone, achieved previously only by Ferrari, ‌will now be marked officially in Monaco in June — the race where the team founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren debuted in 1966.

“We were meant, obviously, to celebrate it ‌here,” Norris told Reuters before taking his 2025 car for a spin — literally — at Regatta ‌Harbour ⁠in the Florida city’s historic Coconut Grove area.

READ | Audi appoints McNish as Racing Director ahead of Miami GP

“It’s nice that I’ve played a small ⁠part in that but today is also a day where you get to see all the cars, the history, the drivers that have driven for McLaren,” added the Briton. “It’s a big milestone and I’m very proud of it.”

FITTIPALDI, 79, STILL AT THE WHEEL

Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion from 1974, drove the M23 during the event. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion from 1974, drove the M23 during the event. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Brazilian Fittipaldi, McLaren’s first champion in 1974 ‌and now 79-years-old, drove a V8-engined McLaren M23 similar to the one that took the late James Hunt to the 1976 crown.

“I was the first one, I made a small part of McLaren history but then McLaren has a huge history and I’m very proud to be ‌here,” Fittipaldi, who won his first title with Lotus in 1972, told Reuters.

Hakkinen, the 1998 and 1999 champion, shook the ground with his V10-powered MP4-14 while Bruno Senna, nephew of Brazil’s late triple champion Ayrton, drove his uncle’s MP4/6 with its ear-splitting V12.

Two-time champion Mika Hakkinen in his V10-powered MP4-14 during the event. | Photo Credit: Marco Bello

Brazilian ⁠Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner, also drove an Arrow McLaren IndyCar.

“To just be alongside them, even just to be able to talk to them is really cool,” said Piastri.

Norris and Piastri, driving Lewis ‌Hamilton’s 2008 title-winner, then took to the track together to salute the cheering throng before interviews on a stage.

“It was nice to see so many people and it was just good to have a bit of fun,” said Norris. “Normally we have to be all serious and drive properly … we don’t get to just go out and do (tyre) burnouts and stuff.

“I won the championship last year and wasn’t allowed to do any burnouts. So it was nice to just let loose and have a nice ‌day out.”

McLaren has won the last two Miami Grands Prix — Piastri last year and Norris in 2024 — and Sunday could complete a hat-trick although Mercedes has been dominant since the start of a new engine and rules era.

The Australian was cautious in offering any prediction, however, ahead of ⁠a weekend that could also see some thunderstorms and that will also be the first test of the ⁠rules since they were tweaked.

“I think last year, and even 2024, we had a really big advantage around a place like this and this year we don’t have that so ‌we’ll have to wait and see,” said Piastri.

“I think it’s going to be a weekend full of changes and trying to get on top of things better than everybody else. And if we can do that then there’s still going to be opportunities to finish higher than maybe where you should.”

Published on Apr 30, 2026

#McLaren #celebrates #legacy #Miami #street #show #ahead #race #months #Japanese

McLaren showed off its Formula One heritage with a deafening display of title-winning cars driven…

Champion McLaren will have “a completely new car” when Formula One returns from a five-week break at the Miami ‌Grand Prix in May, according to team principal Andrea Stella.

Mercedes, which provides McLaren’s engines, has won all three races so far this season ⁠but the last race in Japan was closer between the two teams.

Australian Oscar Piastri ended up second to Mercedes’ Italian Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka and might have won but for a safety ‌car period helping his rival.

“There was always the idea to deliver a completely new car, especially from an aerodynamic upgrades point of view, for ‌the North American races,” Stella told reporters at the team’s factory.

“We could keep ‌up ⁠with this plan. Obviously, the fact that the calendar has been changed ⁠sort of helped a little bit, like I’m sure (it) helped all the other teams that could work more streamlined towards upgrading the car rather than being busy with racing.”

ALSO READ | Miami Grand Prix practice extended after rule changes, race cancellations

There has been no racing in ‌April because the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were called off due to the West Asia tensions. That means Miami will be the fourth race of the season rather than the sixth.

“Across Miami and ‌Canada we will see an entirely new MCL40 (car)… this is what I would expect of most of our competitors so it’s not necessarily going to be a shift in the pecking order, it will be effectively ⁠just a check who has been able to add more performance within the same timeframe,” said Stella.

The team is third in the standings, 89 points behind Mercedes which finished ‌the first two races one-two.

McLaren, constructors’ champion for the past two years and winner of the drivers’ title last year with Lando Norris, is more limited than others on wind tunnel use and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) because each team’s allocation is linked to where it finishes each season.

However chief designer Rob Marshall told reporters that was not the big disadvantage it appeared to be.

“The truth of it is you have many ‌potential developments that you want to run through CFD or the wind tunnel and some are good and some are bad,” he said.

“So if you’re bright and you approach it the right way and you think about stuff methodically… you just ⁠don’t bother doing the stuff that wasn’t worth doing and you carry on doing the ⁠stuff at the top of the list.

“So in a way you free up resources, because if you’ve got a lot of wind tunnel resources and ‌CFD time, you end up doing a lot of stuff that’s nice to have — but actually we’re not in the business of nice to have. We’re in the business of the stuff that actually works and so that’s the stuff you do.”

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#McLaren #completely #car #Miami #Grand #Prix">

McLaren will have ‘completely new’ car for Miami Grand Prix Champion McLaren will have “a completely new car” when Formula One returns from a five-week break at the Miami ‌Grand Prix in May, according to team principal Andrea Stella.Mercedes, which provides McLaren’s engines, has won all three races so far this season ⁠but the last race in Japan was closer between the two teams.Australian Oscar Piastri ended up second to Mercedes’ Italian Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka and might have won but for a safety ‌car period helping his rival.“There was always the idea to deliver a completely new car, especially from an aerodynamic upgrades point of view, for ‌the North American races,” Stella told reporters at the team’s factory.“We could keep ‌up ⁠with this plan. Obviously, the fact that the calendar has been changed ⁠sort of helped a little bit, like I’m sure (it) helped all the other teams that could work more streamlined towards upgrading the car rather than being busy with racing.”ALSO READ | Miami Grand Prix practice extended after rule changes, race cancellationsThere has been no racing in ‌April because the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were called off due to the West Asia tensions. That means Miami will be the fourth race of the season rather than the sixth.“Across Miami and ‌Canada we will see an entirely new MCL40 (car)… this is what I would expect of most of our competitors so it’s not necessarily going to be a shift in the pecking order, it will be effectively ⁠just a check who has been able to add more performance within the same timeframe,” said Stella.The team is third in the standings, 89 points behind Mercedes which finished ‌the first two races one-two.McLaren, constructors’ champion for the past two years and winner of the drivers’ title last year with Lando Norris, is more limited than others on wind tunnel use and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) because each team’s allocation is linked to where it finishes each season.However chief designer Rob Marshall told reporters that was not the big disadvantage it appeared to be.“The truth of it is you have many ‌potential developments that you want to run through CFD or the wind tunnel and some are good and some are bad,” he said.“So if you’re bright and you approach it the right way and you think about stuff methodically… you just ⁠don’t bother doing the stuff that wasn’t worth doing and you carry on doing the ⁠stuff at the top of the list.“So in a way you free up resources, because if you’ve got a lot of wind tunnel resources and ‌CFD time, you end up doing a lot of stuff that’s nice to have — but actually we’re not in the business of nice to have. We’re in the business of the stuff that actually works and so that’s the stuff you do.”Published on Apr 23, 2026 #McLaren #completely #car #Miami #Grand #Prix

April 23, 2026

Sports news

Champion McLaren will have “a completely new car” when Formula One returns from a five-week break at the Miami ‌Grand Prix in May, according to team principal Andrea Stella.
Mercedes, which provides McLaren’s engines, has won all three races so far this season ⁠but the last race in Japan was closer between the two teams.
Australian Oscar Piastri ended up second to Mercedes’ Italian Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka and might have won but for a safety ‌car period helping his rival.
“There was always the idea to deliver a completely new car, especially from an aerodynamic upgrades point of view, for ‌the North American races,” Stella told reporters at the team’s factory.
“We could keep ‌up ⁠with this plan. Obviously, the fact that the calendar has been changed ⁠sort of helped a little bit, like I’m sure (it) helped all the other teams that could work more streamlined towards upgrading the car rather than being busy with racing.”
ALSO READ | Miami Grand Prix practice extended after rule changes, race cancellations
There has been no racing in ‌April because the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were called off due to the West Asia tensions. That means Miami will be the fourth race of the season rather than the sixth.
“Across Miami and ‌Canada we will see an entirely new MCL40 (car)… this is what I would expect of most of our competitors so it’s not necessarily going to be a shift in the pecking order, it will be effectively ⁠just a check who has been able to add more performance within the same timeframe,” said Stella.
The team is third in the standings, 89 points behind Mercedes which finished ‌the first two races one-two.
McLaren, constructors’ champion for the past two years and winner of the drivers’ title last year with Lando Norris, is more limited than others on wind tunnel use and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) because each team’s allocation is linked to where it finishes each season.
However chief designer Rob Marshall told reporters that was not the big disadvantage it appeared to be.
“The truth of it is you have many ‌potential developments that you want to run through CFD or the wind tunnel and some are good and some are bad,” he said.
“So if you’re bright and you approach it the right way and you think about stuff methodically… you just ⁠don’t bother doing the stuff that wasn’t worth doing and you carry on doing the ⁠stuff at the top of the list.
“So in a way you free up resources, because if you’ve got a lot of wind tunnel resources and ‌CFD time, you end up doing a lot of stuff that’s nice to have — but actually we’re not in the business of nice to have. We’re in the business of the stuff that actually works and so that’s the stuff you do.”
Published on Apr 23, 2026

#McLaren #completely #car #Miami #Grand #Prix">McLaren will have ‘completely new’ car for Miami Grand Prix

Champion McLaren will have “a completely new car” when Formula One returns from a five-week break at the Miami ‌Grand Prix in May, according to team principal Andrea Stella.

Mercedes, which provides McLaren’s engines, has won all three races so far this season ⁠but the last race in Japan was closer between the two teams.

Australian Oscar Piastri ended up second to Mercedes’ Italian Kimi Antonelli at Suzuka and might have won but for a safety ‌car period helping his rival.

“There was always the idea to deliver a completely new car, especially from an aerodynamic upgrades point of view, for ‌the North American races,” Stella told reporters at the team’s factory.

ALSO READ | Miami Grand Prix practice extended after rule changes, race cancellations

The team is third in the standings, 89 points behind Mercedes which finished ‌the first two races one-two.

However chief designer Rob Marshall told reporters that was not the big disadvantage it appeared to be.

“The truth of it is you have many ‌potential developments that you want to run through CFD or the wind tunnel and some are good and some are bad,” he said.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#McLaren #completely #car #Miami #Grand #Prix

Champion McLaren will have “a completely new car” when Formula One returns from a five-week…

Max Verstappen’s long-time Formula One race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is to leave Red Bull and join McLaren ‌in a supporting role to team principal Andrea Stella.

There was no immediate comment from either team on Thursday, but senior insiders confirmed the move, ⁠first reported in Dutch media, to Reuters.

The news was also reported by the BBC and Sky Sports, with 2028 given as the likely start date for a man who has been working with ‌Verstappen since 2016 and has played a key role in helping the Dutch driver to four world championships.

Lambiase, 45, had also been linked with Silverstone-based Aston ‌Martin, whose team principal is former Red Bull star designer Adrian Newey.

Stella set to stay as Principal

While Aston Martin has endured a nightmare start to the season, ⁠struggling to even finish races with an uncompetitive Honda engine, McLaren won both titles last year with champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.

Lambiase is expected to become head of race engineering at McLaren once a potentially long period of ‘gardening leave’ comes ‌to an end, with former Ferrari engineer Stella continuing in his position.

Stella, who worked with Michael Schumacher in a golden era at Ferrari in the early 2000s, has a multi-year contract with McLaren and no intention of returning to Maranello despite some media ‌speculation about his future.

The close but forthright relationship between Verstappen and ‘GP’ over the team radio has become a familiar part of Formula One, similar to the pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington during the seven-time world ⁠champion’s spell at Mercedes.

Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, fired last July, once compared the relationship to that of “an old married couple arguing about what to watch on television.

READ: F1 technical heads to meet, discuss new engine rules

“The dynamic between ‌the two is so intense that in between you have to ask yourself who is supposed to be the driver and who is supposed to be the engineer here.”

Losing the Briton will be a blow to Verstappen after the departure of other important figures in recent seasons and once-dominant Red Bull’s waning performance on track, but the 28-year-old has also increasingly cast doubt on his own longevity in the sport.

“I’m thinking about everything inside ‌this paddock,” he said in Japan last month.

Verstappen is no fan of the sport’s new engine era and rules that force drivers to manage energy deployment and take corners at less than full speed.

In 2021, when they won a first title together, the ⁠Dutchman went so far as to say that he would not continue without Lambiase.

“I have said ⁠to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too,” he told Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport. “We can be pretty strict with ‌each other sometimes, but I want that. He has to tell me when I’m being a jerk, and I have to tell him.”

McLaren already has former Red Bull employees Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay in senior roles as chief designer and sporting director, respectively.

Published on Apr 09, 2026

#Verstappens #race #engineer #Lambiase #leave #Red #Bull #McLaren">

Verstappen’s race engineer Lambiase to leave Red Bull for McLaren Max Verstappen’s long-time Formula One race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is to leave Red Bull and join McLaren ‌in a supporting role to team principal Andrea Stella.There was no immediate comment from either team on Thursday, but senior insiders confirmed the move, ⁠first reported in Dutch media, to Reuters.The news was also reported by the BBC and Sky Sports, with 2028 given as the likely start date for a man who has been working with ‌Verstappen since 2016 and has played a key role in helping the Dutch driver to four world championships.Lambiase, 45, had also been linked with Silverstone-based Aston ‌Martin, whose team principal is former Red Bull star designer Adrian Newey.Stella set to stay as PrincipalWhile Aston Martin has endured a nightmare start to the season, ⁠struggling to even finish races with an uncompetitive Honda engine, McLaren won both titles last year with champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.Lambiase is expected to become head of race engineering at McLaren once a potentially long period of ‘gardening leave’ comes ‌to an end, with former Ferrari engineer Stella continuing in his position.Stella, who worked with Michael Schumacher in a golden era at Ferrari in the early 2000s, has a multi-year contract with McLaren and no intention of returning to Maranello despite some media ‌speculation about his future.The close but forthright relationship between Verstappen and ‘GP’ over the team radio has become a familiar part of Formula One, similar to the pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington during the seven-time world ⁠champion’s spell at Mercedes.Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, fired last July, once compared the relationship to that of “an old married couple arguing about what to watch on television.READ: F1 technical heads to meet, discuss new engine rules“The dynamic between ‌the two is so intense that in between you have to ask yourself who is supposed to be the driver and who is supposed to be the engineer here.”Losing the Briton will be a blow to Verstappen after the departure of other important figures in recent seasons and once-dominant Red Bull’s waning performance on track, but the 28-year-old has also increasingly cast doubt on his own longevity in the sport.“I’m thinking about everything inside ‌this paddock,” he said in Japan last month.Verstappen is no fan of the sport’s new engine era and rules that force drivers to manage energy deployment and take corners at less than full speed.In 2021, when they won a first title together, the ⁠Dutchman went so far as to say that he would not continue without Lambiase.“I have said ⁠to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too,” he told Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport. “We can be pretty strict with ‌each other sometimes, but I want that. He has to tell me when I’m being a jerk, and I have to tell him.”McLaren already has former Red Bull employees Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay in senior roles as chief designer and sporting director, respectively.Published on Apr 09, 2026 #Verstappens #race #engineer #Lambiase #leave #Red #Bull #McLaren

April 9, 2026

Sports news

Max Verstappen’s long-time Formula One race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is to leave Red Bull and join McLaren ‌in a supporting role to team principal Andrea Stella.
There was no immediate comment from either team on Thursday, but senior insiders confirmed the move, ⁠first reported in Dutch media, to Reuters.
The news was also reported by the BBC and Sky Sports, with 2028 given as the likely start date for a man who has been working with ‌Verstappen since 2016 and has played a key role in helping the Dutch driver to four world championships.
Lambiase, 45, had also been linked with Silverstone-based Aston ‌Martin, whose team principal is former Red Bull star designer Adrian Newey.
Stella set to stay as Principal
While Aston Martin has endured a nightmare start to the season, ⁠struggling to even finish races with an uncompetitive Honda engine, McLaren won both titles last year with champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.
Lambiase is expected to become head of race engineering at McLaren once a potentially long period of ‘gardening leave’ comes ‌to an end, with former Ferrari engineer Stella continuing in his position.
Stella, who worked with Michael Schumacher in a golden era at Ferrari in the early 2000s, has a multi-year contract with McLaren and no intention of returning to Maranello despite some media ‌speculation about his future.
The close but forthright relationship between Verstappen and ‘GP’ over the team radio has become a familiar part of Formula One, similar to the pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington during the seven-time world ⁠champion’s spell at Mercedes.
Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, fired last July, once compared the relationship to that of “an old married couple arguing about what to watch on television.
READ: F1 technical heads to meet, discuss new engine rules
“The dynamic between ‌the two is so intense that in between you have to ask yourself who is supposed to be the driver and who is supposed to be the engineer here.”
Losing the Briton will be a blow to Verstappen after the departure of other important figures in recent seasons and once-dominant Red Bull’s waning performance on track, but the 28-year-old has also increasingly cast doubt on his own longevity in the sport.
“I’m thinking about everything inside ‌this paddock,” he said in Japan last month.
Verstappen is no fan of the sport’s new engine era and rules that force drivers to manage energy deployment and take corners at less than full speed.
In 2021, when they won a first title together, the ⁠Dutchman went so far as to say that he would not continue without Lambiase.
“I have said ⁠to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too,” he told Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport. “We can be pretty strict with ‌each other sometimes, but I want that. He has to tell me when I’m being a jerk, and I have to tell him.”
McLaren already has former Red Bull employees Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay in senior roles as chief designer and sporting director, respectively.
Published on Apr 09, 2026

#Verstappens #race #engineer #Lambiase #leave #Red #Bull #McLaren">Verstappen’s race engineer Lambiase to leave Red Bull for McLaren

Max Verstappen’s long-time Formula One race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is to leave Red Bull and join McLaren ‌in a supporting role to team principal Andrea Stella.

There was no immediate comment from either team on Thursday, but senior insiders confirmed the move, ⁠first reported in Dutch media, to Reuters.

Lambiase, 45, had also been linked with Silverstone-based Aston ‌Martin, whose team principal is former Red Bull star designer Adrian Newey.

Stella set to stay as Principal

Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, fired last July, once compared the relationship to that of “an old married couple arguing about what to watch on television.

READ: F1 technical heads to meet, discuss new engine rules

“The dynamic between ‌the two is so intense that in between you have to ask yourself who is supposed to be the driver and who is supposed to be the engineer here.”

“I’m thinking about everything inside ‌this paddock,” he said in Japan last month.

Verstappen is no fan of the sport’s new engine era and rules that force drivers to manage energy deployment and take corners at less than full speed.

In 2021, when they won a first title together, the ⁠Dutchman went so far as to say that he would not continue without Lambiase.

McLaren already has former Red Bull employees Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay in senior roles as chief designer and sporting director, respectively.

Published on Apr 09, 2026

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Max Verstappen’s long-time Formula One race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is to leave Red Bull and…