Red Bull has appointed Tom Hart as Max Verstappen’s next race engineer. The Briton will succeed Gianpiero Lambiase, who is set to depart for a new role at McLaren. This decision follows Hart’s reversal of an earlier agreement to join Williams.
Hart, currently a performance engineer at Red Bull, had committed to becoming Alex Albon’s race engineer at Williams for the 2027 season. However, Red Bull successfully negotiated his retention. The agreement to release Hart from his Williams commitment was reached between Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies and Williams Team Principal James Vowles.
Gianpiero Lambiase, known as ‘GP’, will transition to McLaren as Chief Racing Officer, a move effective from the 2028 season. His new position will involve overseeing racing operations and strategy at the Woking-based team, reporting directly to Team Principal Andrea Stella.
Lambiase has been a key figure in Verstappen’s career, serving as his race engineer since the Dutchman joined Red Bull in 2016. Their partnership has been instrumental in securing four consecutive World Championships for Verstappen.
In addition to his race engineer duties, Lambiase assumed the role of Head of Racing at Red Bull in 2024. The exact timeline for his formal departure from Red Bull’s pit wall remains unconfirmed, but an extended period of gardening leave is anticipated before his 2028 McLaren start.
Tom Hart is expected to fully take over the race engineer responsibilities for Verstappen at the start of the 2027 season. There is a possibility he could assume the role for selected races later in the current 2026 season to facilitate a smooth transition.
Hart has been Verstappen’s performance engineer since January 2020, working closely with the four-time world champion. He also gained recent experience in the race engineer role during a filming day for Isack Hadjar at Silverstone.
The retention of Hart is a notable development for Red Bull amidst a series of high-profile staff departures. Adrian Newey, former Chief Technical Officer, joined Aston Martin for the 2026 season. Rob Marshall moved to McLaren as Technical Director in 2024.
Paul Monaghan, Chief Engineer for Car Engineering, has agreed to join Cadillac for their Formula 1 entry, expected in 2027. Jonathan Wheatley, Sporting Director, was previously linked with a move to Audi but has remained with Red Bull.
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies addressed staff movements after the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this season. He stated, ‘If I look at the names that have been circulating in the last few months, most of them are still in the garage. Some had never wanted to leave, some have changed their mind and are staying with us.’
Mekies’ comments were made in response to questions regarding the ongoing personnel changes within the team. The continuity in the race engineer role is considered crucial, given the direct communication and trust required between driver and engineer.
Max Verstappen has previously emphasized the importance of his relationship with his race engineer. He has also expressed his loyalty to Red Bull, stating, ‘I’m a very loyal person and the team is like a second family to me.’
