The shock news yesterday that one of the most identifiable F1 relationships is heading for divorce will impact the Red Bull Racing team in the worst possible fashion. Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving the Milton Keynes racing outfit for McLaren at the end of the 2027 season.
As was the case with Mercedes race engineer Bono (Pete Bonnington) and Lewis Hamilton, the team radio exchanges between GP and Verstappen have become legendary. During the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix there was a particularly terse exchange between GP and Max, where the engineer told him to “use his head a bit more” which appeared to disperse the red mist of the driver.
This elicited the humorous response from Verstappen that he should maybe come in for extra “pit stop practice,” something Christian Horner joked about after the race. “They are like an old married couple. You can see (imagine) them arguing about which channel to watch on the TV.”
GP’s first radio message to Verstappen
For many Verstappen is a law unto himself and his recent expulsion of a Guardian journalist from an FIA press conference would appear to confirm that. Yet GP is the voice of reason in Max’s ear when he’s in the cockpit, even admonishing his driver when he believes he’s lost focus on the job in hand.
The partnership between engineer and now quadruple world champion driver was forged on Verstappen’s very first outing for the Red Bull Racing F1 team. That day the Dutch driver became the youngest ever winner of an F1 Grand Prix at the age of just 18 years and and 228 days at the Circuit de Catalunya.
During the race we heard the first exchanges between the pair whilst with 22 laps to go Verstappen on a two stop strategy was under pressure from Kimi Raikkonen in a much quicker Ferrari. “Focus on the exit of the last corner, Max. Keep it clean,” was the advice from GP who knew his driver must manage his tyres to fend of the attack from the Ferrari driver.
Further a clean exit from the final corner would mean Max despite his DRS disadvantage could hold off Raikkonen down the long start/finish straight. When Max crossed the line to become the youngest ever F1 winner, the Red Bull team radio almost exploded with the ecstatic voice of Christian Horner.
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The most important relationship in the F1 paddock
Yet is was the voice of calm from GP which marked the historic moment best in somewhat a more measured fashion than the Red Bull boss: “Incredible, Max! Incredible! Well done. You’ve won the Spanish Grand Prix!”
Yet the tone for the professional aspect of the relationship was quickly set as GP pivoted to his role of engineer: “Pick up some rubber, Max. Well done, mate. Unbelievable debut.” The instruction was to ensure the extra kilo or so of discarded tyre rubber around the track would ensure the car was not deemed underweight by the FIA scrutineers.
In the modern era of F1 and particularly in the new role of the drivers in 2026 as energy managers, the relationship between driver and race engineer is the most important in the entire paddock. GP is listening to countless voices from the garage and strategy team back in Milton Keynes, but relays just the critical information to Verstappen.
Beyond just relaying lap times, the race engineer is a driver’s technical translator, strategic navigator, and unofficial psychologist. Whether we like the new rules or not, in the current era of “speed chess,” their role has evolved from simple communication to real-time management of a 1,000-horsepower hybrid computer.
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The return of Godzilla to Verstappen
Yet GP and Verstappen have evolved into far more than just working partners, the humour they knowingly share to millions of fans across the world sometimes makes a boring race day. Back in Verstappen’s inaugural season with Red Bull, he reported in Singapore, “Woah, there’s a giant lizard on the track! I’m not joking!” Lambiase’s response was comedic: “Face-to-face with Godzilla then, mate?” He quipped.
This joke would run for several years as in 2023, since again Verstappen reported in “there’s another lizard on the track… maybe a smaller one this time.” Quick as a flash GP replied, “OK understood, maybe Godzilla had a kid.”
Yet their relationship has not been all fun and games requiring Lambiase at times to calm the impetuous nature of his driver. Having suffered a poor strategy call, Verstappen was behind Lewis Hamilton at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix and fuming over the defensive driving of the Mercedes driver.
After several petulant radio messages from Max intended to attract the attention of the race stewards, Gp decided enough was enough. He voluntarily came on the radio to admonish Verstappen for his outbursts: ”I’m not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max. We’ll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio, Max. Childish,” came the curt reprisal.
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Whilst at the US Grand Prix, Verstappen was suffering brake issues and Lambiase was naturally giving him the gap to the closing car behind. Max lost his s**t over team radio, barking “No talking in the braking, man! F**!”* GP remained silent for the remainder of the race. In his interview later in the paddock, team boss Christian Horner was asked about the apparent feud. His response crystallised the relationship perfectly: “Marriage guidance is available at the front desk.”
Of course Lambiase is not leaving Red Bull and Verstappen any time soon, but there is the possibility the Dutch champion will have to navigate his final contracted season at Red Bull without GP in 2028. And like any ‘married’ couple, Max will have been aware of the career changing offer from McLaren, so the announcement yesterday will be of little surprise to him.
Unlike Hamilton who lost his long term signer Bono on moving to Ferrari, there’s time for a new engineer to develop a relationship with Max over the coming 18 months. Yet the fact GP is leaving for McLaren does beg the question, whether there’s a deal in the pipeline for Verstappen to move to the Woking based team.
Back in 2021, Verstappen made the stark observation. About his race engineer. “As soon as he stops, I stop too.” was his blunt response to a reporter’s question. And the role at McLaren may well be a financial step up, but his title remains similar to the one he now has at Red Bull of chief racing officer.
Verstappen’s response to the news Lambiase is leaving
The only comment we have from the Verstappen camp is from his father Jos, who confined he and his son were aware of the impending move. “We also told him to do it and grab it with both hands… It’s a huge opportunity for him,” Verstappen senior told De Telegraaf upon the announcement.
Now in their eleventh season together, Verstappen is no longer the fresh faced boy racer he was when his partnership with GP was formed. In fact, despite moments of petulance his maturity is evident in the paddock, he has become a leader within the Red Bull team and a voice which speaks out for the good of the sport.
This is an opportunity for Verstappen to give the gift of a lifetime to a new engineer. By forming a new friendship and allowing whoever takes over the comms from GP to address Max on equal terms. Yet rumours abound that Max will in fact take a sabbatical from F1 in 2027, whilst the sport sorts itself out over the new and ridiculous autonomous driving cars.
Yet as fans we have at least 19 more races of the Verstappen/Lambiase sit-com, lets hope the best is yet to come to add to the classic archive of moments exchanged between F1’s oldest married couple.
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“I didn’t even want to overtake Lewis, it’s just about how the battery deploys, and I don’t want it to deploy, but I can’t control it. So I overtake him, and then I have no battery, so he just flies past,” the world champion revealed in the media pen…CONTINUE READING
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