The bond between Max Verstappen and his race engineer, GianPiero Lambiase, has been famously close. Verstappen will have to move on from his long-time race engineer, if he chooses to stay in Formula 1.

Lambiase, a key voice behind Verstappen’s success at Red Bull, is set to leave for McLaren in 2028, marking the end of one of the sport’s most defining driver-engineer partnerships.

Max’s father, Jos, who has managed his son since his karting days, provides a unique insider perspective. While he is currently competing in the Belgian Rally Championship, the media couldn’t resist a chance to ask him about GianPiero’s move and the effects of that on his son, Max.

Speaking to RaceXpress, Jos Verstappen said, “We knew for a while, and we also knew when it was going to happen. We have another year and a half to two years to work with him.”

Jos further added, “It’s a huge opportunity for him, so we understand. We also told him to go for it and grab it with both hands. Beyond that, it’s up to Red Bull to replace him.”

By now, McLaren, Red Bull, and F1 have all confirmed the move, with McLaren announcing that GianPiero will join as their Chief Racing Officer.

While the move is good for him, fans will remember that Max had previously said, after his 2021 title, that he would stop if his race engineer stepped away.

While much of the media has been talking about Max’s possible exit, his father believes otherwise, as the reason this time is different, with the focus now on the regulations.

Max to Stay if Regulations are fixed?

Verstappen has previously criticized the new regulations, comparing them to “Mario Kart” and “Formula E on steroids.”

But now that F1 has been taking into serious consideration the issues with the new regulation, especially the battery aspect, there may be minor tweaks to the regulation this season before the race in Miami, while there will be an expectation that all issues with the regulations are addressed in the long run.

Jos Verstappen believes that the proposed changes could make his son stay on in F1. “I think so. It looks like Formula 1 and the FIA are going to adjust the regulations after all. Look what they can do this year, that will help.”

Jos believes the changes are necessary, saying he finds it less enjoyable as a driver and sometimes turns off the television, adding that it is not the Formula that Formula 1 stands for.

Read more at Daily Motor Culture!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav