Max Verstappen's Father Responds to Gianpiero Lambiase's Shocking Departure from Red Bull

Max Verstappen's father, Jos, reacted to the shocking news that Gianpiero Lambiase will be leaving Red Bull.

Lambiase, who has been Verstappen's race engineer since the Dutch driver joined Red Bull from Toro Rosso in 2016, has agreed to join McLaren in 2028.

Red Bull and McLaren confirmed the move in separate statements shortly after many publications reported the news on Thursday morning.

The highly respected engineer will take on the role of Chief Racing Officer at McLaren when his contract with Red Bull expires at the end of 2027. It is known that Lambiase will receive a significant salary increase along with the McLaren squad.

Red Bull has described Lambiase's departure as something that was planned, and according to reports, Verstappen himself was aware of what was happening and gave his blessing for his trusted ally to leave the team.

Verstappen's father's initial reaction appears to support this report.

'We already knew about it a long time ago and we also knew when it was going to happen,' Jos told RaceXpress.

'We still have one and a half to two years to work with him. It's a great opportunity for him, so we understand.'

'We're also asking him to do it and achieve it with both hands. After that, it's up to Red Bull to replace him. We'll just see.'

This news has further spotlighted the polemics surrounding Verstappen's future, both with Red Bull and F1 in general.

Verstappen was unhappy with the new F1 regulations and has hinted that he is considering leaving at the end of the season.

How Lambiase's departure from Red Bull will affect Verstappen's decision is still unclear, but the general consensus in the F1 paddock is that the four-time world champion is likely to leave the sport.

Lambiase is the latest key ally to leave Red Bull, following Helmut Marko and other key members of his inner circle, including Chief Mechanic Matt Caller and former mechanic Ole Shack.

'I think a lot has changed,' Jos said when asked about his son's future. 'Of course, after four championships, you've achieved a lot together, but it's up to Max. However, I think he will continue.'

Joining Crash.net in 2021 as an Editor for the Indonesian Edition, Derry oversees most of the Indonesian articles on the site.

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