Gianpiero Lambiase has been Max Verstappen’s race engineer since 2016, and they have developed a close bond that has led to glittering success. Just like any relationship, they too, engage in a lot of banter and take digs at each other.
Red Bull’s YouTube channel uploads a track guide video before every race. Verstappen sits on a simulator where he laps around the upcoming race’s venue on the F1 game, and Lambiase takes a look at his data.
During a video ahead of the 2024 Japanese GP, however, he roasted Verstappen for making a mistake, and then coming up with an excuse for it.
Verstappen locked up and he tried to justify it, insisting that, “It’s the fastest way around this game.” Sarcastically, Lambiase responded, “So, you just lock a front [to go fast]?”
Verstappen added, “No, no. You don’t lock up”. Lambiase abruptly cut the Dutchman off and said, “Well you do lock. I’ve got the data mate.” A sheepish smile followed on Verstappen’s face as he accepted defeat.
Verstappen’s strong relationship with Lambiase allows for this kind of banter, and the feeling is mutual. There’s plenty of back-and-forth between them, even during races. However, it’s not always smooth sailing.
Often, emotions get the better of the Red Bull driver as evidenced by his heated radio exchanges with Lambiase at the 2024 Hungarian GP. Frustrated with the RB20’s performance and his team’s strategy, Verstappen lashed out, and Lambiase responded in an even tone, calling his antics “childish”.
Before the next race, however, Verstappen apologized to the Briton. Red Bull boss Christian Horner emphasized that he was never concerned about things escalating, confident that they would resolve the issue themselves—such is the strength of their bond.
Horner’s take on Verstappen’s relationship with Lambiase
Because of Verstappen’s desire to win every race, he wants everything around him to be flawless, without any hiccups. And in F1, that is rare. Lambiase knows what to expect from Verstappen, having worked with him for almost a decade, and Verstappen knows he can rely on his race engineer.
Ferrari attempted to sign Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, to work as a race engineer for Hamilton.
However, GP saidNooo, I’m already married to Max and we’re happy as couple. In fact, GP extended his contract with Red Bull. And he had already been… pic.twitter.com/e1gHBrYxRU
— Marc (@433_marc) September 6, 2024
In an older interview, Horner commented on the 26-year-old’s relationship with Lambiase, saying, “The relationship they have is almost like an old married couple debating about which television channel they should be watching.”
