McLaren is intensifying its efforts to secure the early release of Gianpiero Lambiase from Red Bull. The Italian engineer has agreed to join McLaren as its new head of racing, but his current contract with the Milton Keynes-based team runs until the end of next year. Without a compromise, McLaren would have to wait until the start of 2028 to get him on board.
However, McLaren is eager not to delay Lambiase’s integration that long. The team has held a series of discussions with Red Bull over recent months to explore whether there are grounds for an early exit. So far, nothing has been arranged, but McLaren’s efforts now appear to be ramping up.
Intriguingly, on Saturday morning in the Madring paddock, Lambiase and McLaren CEO Zak Brown were seen chatting at a cafe table right by the main thoroughfare. The location was highly conspicuous, easily captured by photographers and camera crews. They could have easily met in a quieter spot within the vast pit and paddock complex at the Spanish Grand Prix venue. The choice of location seemed to send a message that the pair are openly talking.
Such a move could influence Red Bull to think there is little to gain by delaying Lambiase’s release. McLaren’s hopes of securing a deal appeared to have increased recently after Red Bull settled on its replacement plans. The team has signed Aston Martin’s Tom McCullough as its new head of racing from next year, while Tom Hart is to take over as Max Verstappen’s race engineer.
With those appointments in place, McLaren senses an opportunity to avoid waiting until 2028, so it has started pushing again to see if there are grounds for Red Bull to let Lambiase go early. However, Red Bull appears to be in no rush. According to sources, one of Red Bull’s big considerations is how best to handle the transition to the new arrivals. A priority is a good enough handover so both McCullough and Hart do not face a cold start in their new roles.
Red Bull has already begun preparations for Hart’s closer integration with Verstappen. He has started acting as Verstappen’s engineer in some practice sessions, which will continue in Baku, and is set to take over for full race weekends towards the end of the season. This may start from the United States Grand Prix. A handover to McCullough, who does not join until the start of 2027, would have to wait until the start of next year though, which would mean Lambiase not being in place at McLaren for the start of the season.
For McLaren, having Lambiase earlier could accelerate their technical adaptation and strengthen their engineering structure. But Red Bull has every right to hold him to his contract. The situation remains fluid and could change as the season progresses. One thing is clear: the paddock cafe meeting was a sign that McLaren will not stay silent.
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