(Motorsport-Total.com) – Gianpiero Lambiase’s announcement that he will move to McLaren after the 2027 season is bad news for Red Bull. Although Verstappen’s long-time engineer will remain with the Bulls for now, this could cause problems sooner or later, says former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard.
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“He still has a contract with Red Bull. We assume that he will continue to fulfill this contract,” says the Briton on the podcast Up To Speed. “But of course, one of the tricky points 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 has in his head, he is allowed to take with him. So there will be a point where they say: ‘You can’t really work on this car anymore, or you definitely can’t participate in any discussions about developments for 2027 and beyond.'”
“That will then become an uncomfortable situation,” knows Coulthard, who speaks from his own experience, because “I myself have been in this situation.” What exactly does the Scot mean by that? After the 1995 Formula 1 season, Coulthard moved from Williams to McLaren, turning his back on the traditional British racing team.
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Coulthard convinced: “That strains the relationship”
“At the end of 1995, I had already signed to move to McLaren, and you still go through the race weekend normally,” recalls the now 55-year-old. “But I was no longer allowed to enter certain areas in the factory at Williams, understandably, because I was moving to another team.”
“That strains the relationship and leads to compromises.” Exactly that could also apply to Lambiase, affectionately known as “GP”. In any case, the Verstappen engineer will not be allowed to work intensively at Red Bull until the very end, believes the ex-driver.
“What McLaren would certainly hope for is that Red Bull releases GP from his contract early, waives the obligation to pay his salary, and allows him to move to McLaren sooner,” says Coulthard. “But on the other hand: why would you want to do anything that gives your competitors an advantage?”