Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to join McLaren

Red Bull head of racing Gianpiero Lambiase is leaving the team at the expiration of his contract to join Formula 1 rival McLaren.

Lambiase, 45, currently serves as the race engineer for four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

McLaren announced Thursday that Lambiase will become its chief racing officer, reporting to team principal Andrea Stella.

McLaren said Lambiase, who has been at Red Bull since 2015, will make the move when his existing contract ends, no later than 2028.

"The team's ability to attract and secure top talent, like Lambiase, and previously Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, alongside the retention and promotion of highly talented people already within the team, is a testament to the strategic vision and culture that are integrally embodied in the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, who are also both on long-term contracts," McLaren said in a statement.

Marshall and Courtenay were both senior staff members at Red Bull before joining McLaren in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Marshall is the chief designer at McLaren. Courtenay is the team's sporting director.