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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Red Bull insider shares what F1 'villain' Max Verstappen is really like to work with
Max Verstappen is loved by many but also has plenty of critics, including many F1 fans who will never forgive him for the controversial 2021 title fight with Lewis Hamilton Formula 1 should be "grateful" for the presence of Max Verstappen. That is the view of the four-time champion's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase who insists the divisive Dutchman is "the complete opposite" to how he is often portrayed. Even at just 27, Verstappen is already one of the most successful drivers in F1 history. His search to become only the second driver to ever win five titles in a row, after Michael Schumacher, is set to come to an end this year, though, with Red Bull no longer the dominant force on the grid. He has celebrated two Grand Prix victories so far this year, and also the 200th race of his career with the team. To mark that milestone, Red Bull have release a video feature on YouTube in which Lambiase is one of several figures to pay tribute to all he has accomplished. And the engineer insists Verstappen is not the "villain" he is sometimes made out to be. "Here at the track, Max, he is portrayed as the villain of the paddock but, away from the track, he is the complete opposite," Lambiase said. "He is the most sincere, gentle giant and a very likeable character. I consider him a top friend." That is despite some often testy exchanges between them over the radio, which is simply how the two communicate best, despite the extremely blunt tone with which messages to one another are often delivered. "Max's limitation? His stubbornness," Lambiase smiled. "He knows best and that is an engineering challenge, to try and get yourself under his skin and into his head. I have come to accept that, even if at the time, he refuses to take in your recommendation, actually, he is absorbing it like a sponge, and he will not admit it, but he will then go and do what you have asked." And in terms of his ability, Lambiase is convinced that Verstappen is the latest of the true greats to grace the grid. He added: "Max is clearly a generational talent. He has followed... in recent years, Schumacher, Lewis [Hamilton], and he has taken on that mantle. "And I think what he has brought to this paddock... You see it in his relationship with the rookies nowadays, they are all looking up to him and aspiring to be him and to achieve what he has achieved. So, I think Formula 1 needs to be grateful for that." Sky Sports launches discounted Formula 1 package This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more £43 £35 Sky Get Sky Sports here Product Description Verstappen recently committed to sticking with Red Bull for the 2026 campaign, though his future beyond next season looks to be up in the air. The Dutchman will want to be in the fastest car he can find and Helmut Marko, the team adviser who is also one of the racer's closest allies, has admitted that they could lose him if they are not quick enough. The Austrian said: "Nobody knows what the situation will be like in 2026. Mercedes declares itself the favourite, but there is no evidence. Also in terms of chassis, you do not know who will hit the jackpot. There is a lot of uncertainty. From his perspective, it makes much more sense to stay, wait and see. If it turns out next year that we are not competitive, he can always reconsider his decision."
News18
6 days ago
- Sport
- News18
What Is Max Verstappen's Limitation? Star Driver's Race Engineer Makes Big Reveal
Last Updated: Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has revealed that Max Verstappen's biggest limitation is his stubbornness. Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has revealed Max Verstappen's biggest limitation, saying that the latter's stubbornness is his biggest drawback. The latter has had the same race engineer since his first race with the Austrian side nine years ago and the pair has formed a formidable combination on the circuit. Verstappen and Lambiase are heard on team radio during races, exchanging direct, no-nonsense messages as they work to extract maximum performance from the car. While their blunt exchanges during tense race moments often catch fans off guard, Verstappen and Lambiase's dynamic has remained unchanged, with the duo maintaining a strong friendship off the track. 'Max's limitation? His stubbornness. He knows best and that is an engineering challenge: to try and get yourself under his skin and into his head. I've come to accept that, even if at the time, he refuses to take in your recommendation, actually, he is absorbing it like a sponge and he won't admit it, but he will then go and do what you've asked," Lambiase said while speaking on a video shared by Red Bull for their Behind the Charge segment. 'Max is a generational talent. He's followed… in recent years, [Michael] Schumacher, Lewis [Hamilton] and he has taken on that mantle. And I think what he's brought to this paddock," Lambiase said. 'You see it in his relationship with the rookies nowadays; they're all looking up to him and aspiring to be him and to achieve what he's achieved. So, I think Formula 1 needs to be grateful for that," Lambiase added. 'Here at the track, Max is portrayed as the villain of the paddock, but away from the track, he is the complete opposite. He's the most sincere, gentle giant and a very likeable character," Lambiase said. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Daily Mirror
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Max Verstappen loses key ally for Belgian Grand Prix as Red Bull confirm replacement
Red Bull and Max Verstappen are already dealing with the absence of ousted team principal Christian Horner at Spa-Francorchamps and now the Dutchman is missing another familiar face Max Verstappen will have to make do without trusted race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. It is the second race in three that the Red Bull head of race engineering has missed, having also been absent from last month's Austrian Grand Prix. Lambiase has served as race engineer to Verstappen throughout the Dutchman's entire career with Red Bull Racing. Despite their often heated radio exchanges, they have formed a tight bond and the four-time Formula 1 champion considers him one of his very closest allies in the paddock. A specific explanation for Lambiase's absence has not been given, beyond the team confirming he has not travelled for 'personal reasons'. Working in his place this weekend is Simon Rennie, who also filled in at the Austria race. Rennie has spent most of his time in recent years in a role back at the team's base in Milton Keynes. But he also has plenty of trackside experience as a race engineer in F1, having previously performed that role for former Verstappen team-mates Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon. They did not get much of a chance to test how they work together in Austria, given Verstappen was taken out on the first lap in Austrian by Kimi Antonelli. But the Dutchman was encouraged by how they had collaborated in practice and in qualifying before that. Verstappen said of working with Rennie at the Red Bull Ring: "I've known Simon for a long time on the other side of the garage and I'm working with him also in the simulator and he has a lot of experience anyway. He was straight on it and it was nice." Of course, Lambiase's is not the only familiar face and voice that is missing from the Red Bull garage at Spa-Francorchamps. For the first time in the team's entire F1 history, since it debuted on the grid in 2005, Christian Horner is not leading their charge trackside having been axed as team principal last week. Making his debut in the role is Horner's replacement, Laurent Mekies, who was promoted from the same role at junior squad Racing Bulls. The Frenchman spent much of his time in Milton Keynes anyway and so is already a familiar face to Red Bull Racing staff. That is certainly the case for Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who drove under Mekies at Racing Bulls until he was promoted to the top team earlier this year. "It will be good to link up again with Laurent," said the Japanese racer. "We worked really well together at Racing Bulls. I know how he likes to work and our full focus is on pushing forward and for me personally to start delivering the performance we need."
The Irish Sun
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Max Verstappen set for major race change for first time in F1 career at Austrian Grand Prix
MAX VERSTAPPEN will be without his right-hand man for the first time in his Formula One career at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend. The 27-year-old's long-serving race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has not made the trip to the team's home race in Spielberg. 4 Max Verstappen must navigate his first F1 race without one of his closest allies in Austria Credit: EPA 4 Verstappen's chief engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will miss his first F1 race since 2016 for personal reasons Credit: Getty It will be the first time that Lambiase won't guide race since the Dutchman stepped up from Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing in May 2016 . Also known simply as 'GP' in the paddock, Lambiase has been the voice in Verstappen's ear for every single one of his 219 races. Their relationship proved an instant success after Verstappen won on his debut at the Spanish Grand Prix to become the youngest race winner in F1 history. – Verstappen now pushing for what would be a record-equalling fifth successive championship crown. READ MORE F1 NEWS Lambiase was initially race engineer to Daniil Kvyat but, when the Russian was replaced mid-season by an 18-year-old Verstappen , he remained in the role . The Italian-British engineer, 44, will miss the Austrian Grand Prix, the 11th race of the season, for personal reasons , according to ESPN. In 2021, the Independent reported that In Lambiase's place comes Simon Rennie, an experienced Red Bull employee who previously served as a race engineer and is currently Group Leader of Simulation Engineering at the team. Most read in Motorsport CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Rennie,45, has plenty of experience in the role, having performed it for the likes of Fernando Alonso , Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen at Renault. H e joined Red Bull in 2013, initially serving as race engineer to Mark Webber and then to before moving to a factory role in 2019. Max Verstappen goes for a spin around the upgraded F1 circuit at Zandvoort He is no stranger to temporary stints back at the track, having served as Alex Albon's race engineer in 2020 for a brief spell. Rennie is expected to fill in for just one weekend with Lambiase expected to return to his trackside duties at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend. Verstappen trails championship leader 4 Lambiase is the engineer in charge of all pit-to-car communication with Verstappen on his earpiece during the races 4
Scottish Sun
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Max Verstappen set for major race change for first time in F1 career at Austrian Grand Prix
He has been the voice in Verstappen's ear throughout his entire He has been the voice in Verstappen's ear throughout his entire Red Bull Racing career STAPPED IN HIS TRACKS Max Verstappen set for major race change for first time in F1 career at Austrian Grand Prix MAX VERSTAPPEN will be without his right-hand man for the first time in his Formula One career at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend. The 27-year-old's long-serving race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has not made the trip to the team's home race in Spielberg. 4 Max Verstappen must navigate his first F1 race without one of his closest allies in Austria Credit: EPA 4 Verstappen's chief engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will miss his first F1 race since 2016 for personal reasons Credit: Getty It will be the first time that Lambiase won't guide Verstappen through a race since the Dutchman stepped up from Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing in May 2016. Also known simply as 'GP' in the paddock, Lambiase has been the voice in Verstappen's ear for every single one of his 219 races. Their relationship proved an instant success after Verstappen won on his debut at the Spanish Grand Prix to become the youngest race winner in F1 history. Plenty of glory has been achieved together over the years, including four straight world titles – Verstappen now pushing for what would be a record-equalling fifth successive championship crown. READ MORE F1 NEWS I'VE GOT LEW Hamilton gives F1 rival lift on his private jet after he was booked on EasyJet Lambiase was initially race engineer to Daniil Kvyat but, when the Russian was replaced mid-season by an 18-year-old Verstappen, he remained in the role. The Italian-British engineer, 44, will miss the Austrian Grand Prix, the 11th race of the season, for personal reasons, according to ESPN. In 2021, the Independent reported that Verstappen suggested he'd QUIT F1 if Lambiase left the team, the pair coming up against fierce battles with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes that year. In Lambiase's place comes Simon Rennie, an experienced Red Bull employee who previously served as a race engineer and is currently Group Leader of Simulation Engineering at the team. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Rennie,45, has plenty of experience in the role, having performed it for the likes of Fernando Alonso, Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen at Renault. He joined Red Bull in 2013, initially serving as race engineer to Mark Webber and then to Daniel Ricciardo before moving to a factory role in 2019. Max Verstappen goes for a spin around the upgraded F1 circuit at Zandvoort He is no stranger to temporary stints back at the track, having served as Alex Albon's race engineer in 2020 for a brief spell. Rennie is expected to fill in for just one weekend with Lambiase expected to return to his trackside duties at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend. Verstappen trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 43 points ahead of Austria, with Mercedes reportedly keen on prizing him from Red Bull if he wants out. 4 Lambiase is the engineer in charge of all pit-to-car communication with Verstappen on his earpiece during the races
