Even though many believe that the primary reason why Max Verstappen is dominating F1 is because of the RB19 that Adrian Newey has designed, that is not the case. Instead, it is the Dutchman’s relationship with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, as revealed on the most recent episode of the Talking Bulls podcast.
Lambiase (or GP) has been Verstappen’s right-hand man on the pit wall ever since the Dutchman made his debut with Red Bull in 2016. Since GP has been alongside Verstappen for the past eight years, he sees right through the 26-year-old.
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Max Verstappen is a Three Time World Champion from Yesterday and Wins the Qatar Grand Prix Today ! 🏆 #QatarGrandPrix pic.twitter.com/5qtOoKAwEp— Shake Shake F1 (@Shake_Shake_F1) October 8, 2023
From 2016 to 2020, Red Bull were just knocking on the doors of a championship fight. But those five years allowed the duo to forge a bond and relationship that developed into a world-class combination once the Milton-Keynes-based team had the right machinery to challenge for wins and titles.
While Verstappen and GP have been together ever since the former’s journey with Red Bull began, the British engineer was initially going to partner with Sebastian Vettel. Since Vettel moved to Ferrari, Verstappen eventually joined GP, who initially also had a short stint with Daniil Kvyat.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner once interestingly compared Verstappen and GP’s relationship to a matrimonial one! The Briton told GPBlog.com, “The relationship they have is more like an old married couple, almost debating about which channel of television they should be watching.”
Max Verstappen and GP get along well despite their differences
Max Verstappen is notorious for his furious radio messages. At times, when he’s ranting off angrily towards Gianpiero Lambiase, many fans have wondered if the duo actually hate each other. But during the podcast, GP assured them that he treats Verstappen like a little brother, and hence, knows how to handle his outbursts and get the best out of him during a race.
Max talks about his iconic “Im not gonna be sitting behind like a grandma!” radio message at the 70th Anniversary GP in 2020. ⬇️
Max says he almost wanted to punch his steering wheel when GP told him that he was too close to the Mercedes for his tyres. 😭😭#MaxVerstappen#GP pic.twitter.com/8C4W78FQWB
— Adit¹ 🇮🇳 (@agabinn) November 7, 2023
What really makes Verstappen and Lambiase work together so well is their insatiable hunger to win. The Dutch lion has seemingly found the perfect partner in GP. Neither of them want to give an inch but know that both of them are working towards the same goal.
