Gianpiero Lambiase’s switch to McLaren is causing Red Bull difficulties: David Coulthard explains why the transition period could be problematic
Gianpiero Lambiase’s announcement that he will move to McLaren after the 2027 season is bad news for Red Bull. Although the long-serving Verstappen engineer will remain with the Bulls for the time being, this could cause problems sooner or later, says ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard.
“He still has a contract with Red Bull. We assume that he will continue to fulfill this contract,” says the Briton in the podcast Up To Speed. “But of course one of the tricky things for Red Bull is that he can’t leave the factory at the end of the year with a laptop full of data.”
“But what he’s done in his head, he can take with him. So there will come a point when they say: ‘You can’t actually work on this car anymore, or you definitely can’t take part in any discussions about developments for 2027 and beyond’.“
”That then becomes an unpleasant situation,“ says Coulthard, speaking from personal experience, because ”I’ve been in that situation myself.” What exactly does the Scot mean by that? After the 1995 Formula 1 season, Coulthard made the switch from Williams to McLaren and turned his back on the traditional British racing team.
Coulthard convinced: “It puts a strain on the relationship”
“At the end of 1995, I had already signed to switch to McLaren, and you still go through the race weekend as normal,” recalls the now 55-year-old. “But I was no longer allowed to enter certain areas of the factory at Williams, understandably because I was moving to another team.”
“That puts a strain on the relationship and leads to compromises.” This could also be the case for Lambiase, affectionately known as “GP”. The ex-driver believes that the Verstappen engineer will not be allowed to work intensively at Red Bull until the end.
“What McLaren would certainly hope for is that Red Bull releases GP from his contract early, lifts the obligation to pay his salary and allows him to switch to McLaren earlier,” says Coulthard. “But then again, why would you want to do anything that gives your competitors an advantage?”
