P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull’s claim about the job Gianpiero Lambiase is joining McLaren for caused tension and prompted clear-the-air talks
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and Red Bull bosses Oliver Mintzlaff and Laurent Mekies met at the Miami Grand Prix regarding Red Bull’s claim that Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren as team principal.
Lambiase, currently Verstappen’s race engineer at Red Bull, will be McLaren’s new ‘chief racing officer,’ a move announced at the start of April with some timing differences between the two teams.
While Red Bull stated Lambiase would leave in 2028, McLaren expressed optimism for a potential earlier transition, aiming for no later than 2028.
After the leak and joint official announcements, Mekies surprised McLaren at Miami by confirming Lambiase’s team principal role publicly, leading to discussions between the teams to clear the air.
Both McLaren and Red Bull want a respectful rivalry moving forward, resolving any potential animosity arising from the Lambiase transition and emphasizing their commitment to their respective personnel.
