"Verstappen is very straightforward, blunt and honest" claims Lambiase
Having fractionally missed out on his fifth F1 world title, Max Verstappen is "very straightforward, blunt and honest" according to his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has offered rare insight into the inner workings of his long‑standing partnership with Max Verstappen, describing a relationship built on absolute honesty, emotional resilience, and a shared intolerance for unnecessary theatrics.
Speaking to the media, Lambiase explained that their communication style is deliberately direct, reflecting both the intensity of Formula 1 and Verstappen’s own expectations from the cockpit.
Lambiase was born in 1980 in Bedford, England, to Italian parents, and has spent two decades in Formula 1 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential engineers of the modern era.
He began his F1 career in 2005 with Jordan and remained with the Silverstone‑based team through its transitions to Midland, Spyker, and Force India, working as a race engineer throughout that period.
His move to Red Bull Racing in 2014 marked the beginning of his partnership with Verstappen, whom he has engineered since the Dutchman’s arrival at the team in 2016.
Illustrating the pressure of race‑day decision‑making with a vivid metaphor, Lambiase added: “You’re on a boat down a river, and you’re surrounded by a whole load of crocodiles. You’re dealing with the closest crocodile to the boat. That’s all we’re doing,” he said.
Lambiase stressed that authenticity is essential to the role. “You have to do what is right for the team and driver at the time, and if you start being concerned about what you’re saying, then I think you’re lost in showbiz.”
According to him, any attempt to soften messages or filter information would undermine the trust required to operate at the front of the field.
Over the years, Lambiase has risen through Red Bull’s engineering structure, serving as Head of Race Engineering from 2022 and taking on the role of Head of Racing in 2024, all while continuing as Verstappen’s race engineer. His dual responsibilities reflect both his technical authority and the team’s reliance on his judgement during high‑pressure moments.
He described the breadth of responsibilities he carries during a race weekend. “You’re his complete circle of friends in one: a dad, a sports psychologist, best friend, worst enemy, everything,” he said. The comment reflects the emotional and psychological load that comes with managing a driver known for his intensity and precision.
Their dynamic has become one of the most recognisable and effective partnerships in modern Formula 1. Lambiase has engineered Verstappen to four consecutive World Drivers’ Championships from 2021 to 2024, and their radio exchanges — sometimes terse, often revealing — have become a defining feature of Red Bull’s race‑day operations.
Together, they have built a relationship that thrives on mutual respect, shared intensity, and an unwavering commitment to performance.
Lambiase noted that Verstappen’s communication style is famously forthright, but that the world champion expects the same level of candour in return. “[Verstappen is] very straightforward, blunt and honest, but he expects that similar level of treatment back,” he explained. “If you try to pander to him, wrap him in cotton wool, and try to be his best mate and be that yes‑man, you will lose him within months.”
