Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes Gianpiero Lambiase will depart Red Bull Racing sooner than anticipated to begin his new role at McLaren ahead of the scheduled 2028 timeline. The veteran Italian-British race engineer, who has served as Max Verstappen’s longtime strategist, shocked the Formula 1 paddock earlier this month when McLaren announced his appointment as Chief Racing Officer.
Speaking on the Drive to Wynn podcast, Steiner suggested that Lambiase’s motivation may already be compromised at Red Bull, potentially accelerating his departure. “I think he will be out of Red Bull pretty soon, and maybe can even start earlier at McLaren but they are not keeping him around,” Steiner explained. “If you know you’re going somewhere else, it’s always difficult. Obviously, you want to do a good job, but is your heart 100%? Maybe only 99%.”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has previously indicated the team’s willingness to negotiate an earlier release for Lambiase while maintaining respect for his existing Red Bull contract. The Woking-based squad has officially stated that Lambiase will join “no later” than 2028, but Steiner’s comments suggest this timeframe could be accelerated given the circumstances at Red Bull.
The high-profile acquisition continues McLaren’s successful strategy of recruiting top talent from Red Bull, following the arrivals of technical director Rob Marshall and aerodynamics chief Will Courtenay. This recruitment drive has coincided with McLaren’s remarkable resurgence, capturing two consecutive Constructors’ Championships and supporting Lando Norris to his maiden Drivers’ title victory.
Steiner emphasized the logic behind such moves, noting that successful personnel naturally gravitate toward winning organizations. “McLaren was winning the last two years and where you want to work if you’re successful is the winning team,” he stated. “You see your own team is not the dominating team anymore, where do I want to go? To the best team given the opportunity.” The former team principal praised McLaren’s long-term thinking in securing experienced yet motivated individuals who still possess the hunger to compete at the highest level.