Gianpiero Lambiase has sent shockwaves through the paddock with the news that he is leaving Red Bull for McLaren no later than 2028.
The fallout from the announcement has seen endless speculation as to what this means for Max Verstappen’s future, given their close race engineer and driver relationship.
Lambiase and Verstappen
Lambiase has been a part of the Red Bull family for 11 years and Verstappen’s only race engineer since his debut in 2016.
From heated radio messages to winning four world championships together, their relationship has long been viewed as an iconic pairing in the sport.
But now this iconic pairing is coming to an end; rumours have sparked that this signals a potential retirement from Verstappen.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: F1 news: Alpine condemn social media attacks on Franco Colapinto
Verstappen to retire?
The speculation that Lambiase’s move means Verstappen is retiring comes partly from long-standing comments from the pair that if Lambiase were to leave, so would Verstappen.
“I told him that I only work with him. As soon as he quits, I’ll quit too”, Verstappen said to Viaplay in 2021.
Similar sentiments have continued to come from the pair since.
Some speculate that Lambiase’s move was triggered by inside knowledge that Verstappen is going to retire, whilst others believe Max’s retirement will be reactive instead of the cause of this move.
Ex-driver and F1 pundit Jolyon Palmer also believes that Verstappen’s retirement is now “inevitable” following the announcement, he said on the F1 Nation podcast.
Verstappen has openly spoken about a possible retirement to the media in the last few races, given his strong dislike of the regulations.
Combining this with Lambiase’s move could see an exit from the sport for the four-time world champion.
A shock move to another team?
Another domino effect that Liambiase’s departure could cause is a shock move to another team from Verstappen.
A potential move for the Dutchman to Mercedes has been rumoured since 2024, and given they currently have the best car, this could be another possibility.
Another scenario has been promoted by ex-driver Ralf Schumacher, who believes that Verstappen following Lambiase to McLaren could be a real possibility.
Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Schumacher said: “Gianpiero Lambiase always said: ‘I’m staying with Max and Max with him.’ That position no longer seems to be the case. In my view, Max will reorient himself next year.”
As a four-time world champion and arguably the current best driver on the grid, Verstappen should theoretically have his pick of teams.
However, both Mercedes and McLaren have a strong driver line-up, which looks unlikely to change in the near future.
Partner that with Max’s dislike of F1 currently and his statements from the Japanese Grand Prix that he is thinking of racing in other series or spending more time with his family, retirement is looking more likely than a team swap for the Dutchman.
Either way, the question still remains as to whether Lambiase’s move was triggered by a decision from Verstappen or if Verstappen’s decision, whatever that may be, will be triggered by Lambiase’s move.
READ NEXT: Wonderkid Rio Ngumoha shines as Liverpool beat Fulham
SportJustSport writers