Surprise Interest Emerges in Max Verstappen’s Race Engineer by Aston Martin
If you’ve spent any time listening to Formula 1 team radio over the last decade, you know the voice. Calm, authoritative, and occasionally sarcastic enough to rival the driver himself. Gianpiero Lambiase, known affectionately as GP, isn’t just an engineer. For the better part of a decade, he has been the calming anchor in the storm that is Max Verstappen.
But now, the paddock is buzzing with whispers that feel more like a breakup than a contract negotiation. The rumors are getting louder that GP is looking for a new home, and it sounds like he’s ready to trade the Red Bull energy drink for British racing green or perhaps a shade of Williams blue.
The Aston Martin Connection
Let’s be real, the idea of Lambiase moving to Aston Martin makes a lot of sense on paper. It’s not just a lateral move; we are talking about a serious step up. The word on the street is that Lambiase isn’t just looking to be a race engineer anymore. He’s being courted for a senior role, potentially even at the team principal or CEO level.
For a guy who has spent years managing tire temps and strategy calls, that is a massive career evolution. And let’s not forget the Adrian Newey factor. Newey, the design genius behind the cars that made Verstappen a four-time champion, has already packed his bags for Aston Martin. The idea of getting the band back together at Silverstone, where Lambiase actually started his career back in the Jordan days, must be incredibly tempting.
A Tug-of-War for Talent
Just when we thought it was a straight shot to Aston Martin, Williams decided to enter the chat. Fresh off a resurgent 2025 season, Williams is reportedly looking to snag Lambiase as well. It’s turning into a proper race for his signature.
It paints a picture of just how highly rated GP is. He’s no longer just “Max’s guy.” He’s a hot commodity in the paddock, a man who knows how to win championships and manage superstar talent.
Verstappen and the Emotional Abu Dhabi Finale
We saw the cracks starting to show at the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi. It was a heartbreaker of a race where Verstappen fell just two points short of the title against Lando Norris. But the image that stuck with a lot of us wasn’t just the disappointment on Max’s face; it was Lambiase on the pit wall.
The man looked devastated. He was visibly emotional, sobbing after the race. At the time, we thought it was just the pain of losing a hard-fought championship. Now? It looks a lot more like a goodbye.
Verstappen didn’t hold back when talking about him afterward, either. In a sport that can often feel cold and corporate, Max’s words were genuinely touching. “I see him as my friend,” Verstappen told the press. “We have lived through so many emotional things together… I’m just very proud to be able to work with someone that good.”
That’s not the way you talk about a colleague you expect to see at testing in a few months. That’s the way you talk about a brother you’re going to miss.
What This Means for the Future of Red Bull
If GP leaves, he’s not the only one walking out the door. Verstappen has seen his inner circle slowly erode over the last year. Adrian Newey is gone. Jonathan Wheatley is heading to Audi. Even Max’s number-one mechanic, Matt Caller, is moving on.
For Verstappen, losing Lambiase might be the biggest blow of them all. They are often described as an “old married couple” because of how they bicker on the radio. GP is the only one who can tell Max to shut up and drive, and Max actually listens.
Who steps into those shoes? Simon Rennie, Daniel Ricciardo’s old engineer, has stepped in before, but replacing that decade-long chemistry isn’t something you can just fix with a staffing change.
As we head toward the massive regulation changes in 2026, Verstappen is looking at a very different Red Bull team than the one he dominated with. The car will be different, the engine will be different, and for the first time in his career, the voice in his ear might be different too.
It’s going to be a fascinating, and perhaps difficult, transition. But if there is one thing we know about this sport, it’s that nothing stays the same forever. Even the best partnerships eventually see the checkered flag.
