Rumours started late last year that Gianpiero Lambiase, known as GP, might leave Red Bull Racing. People said he was talking to other teams like Aston Martin and Williams. The main reason given was that GP did not want to travel for a full 24-race calendar anymore. This idea grew stronger when Simon Rennie stepped in to help Verstappen at the Austrian and Belgian Grand Prix in 2025. Some fans and reports thought GP was tired of the demanding schedule.
The talk got even louder after the last race of 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen won that Grand Prix, his sixth win in the final nine races. But he lost the Drivers’ Championship to Lando Norris by just two points. On the radio after the race, Verstappen told GP, “We showed them one final time who’s boss.” GP replied, “You can be proud of that mate, hold your head up high.” Many people saw this as an emotional goodbye, and some thought GP was emotional on the pit wall. This made the rumours spread more.
Looks like the talk finally got to Max Verstappen, who has finally come out to the media and confirmed that there is no question of GP leaving the team, and that the successful race engineer will be continuing with the team and Max for the upcoming season as well. When asked if GP was always going to remain, Verstappen said, “He was always staying.” When someone said there was “never any question,” Verstappen added, “Not to me.” Sources close to the team also confirmed that GP will keep his role as Verstappen’s race engineer and head of racing at Red Bull for the 2026 season. His contract actually runs until the end of 2027, so he is committed for now.
GP has been with Verstappen since 2016. That was when Verstappen joined Red Bull and won his first race right away in Spain. Over 10 years, they have worked as a team through 71 race wins and four World Championships from 2021 to 2024. Former team boss Christian Horner called them Formula 1’s “old married couple” because they have such a close relationship. They have had some heated radio moments in the past, but Verstappen sees GP as more than just an engineer. He calls him a friend. Last year, Verstappen said it was a tough season emotionally, but he was very proud to work with someone so passionate who never gave up.
