F1 fans convinced Max Verstappen is ‘definitely’ retiring as Gianpiero Lambiase agrees McLaren move

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Many fans believe the shocking news of Gianpiero Lambiase’s departure from Red Bull is a sign of Max Verstappen’s future.

Lambiase will be joining McLaren at the start of the 2028 season, marking an end to his 10+ year stint with Red Bull.

Lambiase has been crucial in Max Verstappen’s success, serving as his race engineer since 2016, when Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull.

GP is joining McLaren! What does this mean for Verstappen and Red Bull?

The news comes from Erik van Haren of De Telegraaf

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With Gianpiero Lambiase by his side, Max Verstappen managed to win four drivers’ championships and helped Red Bull win two constructors’ championships in 2022 and 2023.

Lambiase’s presence at Red Bull was vital for Verstappen. And with his departure set for after next season, many believe it is a sign that Verstappen is walking away from Red Bull and Formula One very soon.

READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher explains why F1’s best drivers should reject Red Bull even if Max Verstappen leaves

F1 fans think Max Verstappen is done with Red Bull after Gianpiero Lambiase’s departure

Several fans took to social media when the news of Gianpiero Lambiase’s Red Bull exit broke. The common belief among fans is that this move signals the end of Verstappen’s tenure with Red Bull.

One fan simply declared, “Yeah, Max is retiring definitely after this season.”

While another fan suggested a similar fate, noting, “So that basically all but confirms that Max is out of F1 as well. I don’t see him staying in this s— with the worst regulations in the history of F1, and GP gone.”

A third fan claimed this move would mark the end of Red Bull as a top team, saying, “No one trusts Mekies to lead the team anywhere but the lower midfield when Max leaves.  RBR really f—– up when they fired Horner.”

“FIA and F1 really pulled a Chicago Bulls breakup,” wrote a fourth fan who compared Red Bull’s collapse to the end of another iconic sports dynasty.

Another fan broke down the crisis at Red Bull perfectly, noting, “GP has just signed for McLaren, Max is about to walk away, and we have Hadjar publicly calling Wache’s car terrible. It’s over. This isn’t Red Bull anymore. This is a masterclass in how to destroy a team.”

“If this isn’t confirmation that Max is leaving, I don’t know what is,” wrote one fan who believes Lambiase’s move is the writing on the wall for Verstappen’s future.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen has been ‘badly let down’ by a Red Bull employee he didn’t fully trust

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Erik van Haren of De Telegraaf broke the story

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Max Verstappen’s future is in serious doubt after yet another high-profile Red Bull exit

Lambiase becomes the latest name from the successful Red Bull infrastructure to walk away in the last two years.

Lambiase now joins Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, and Christian Horner as another key figure in Red Bull’s success in the last five years to leave the team.

Add to this the frustration Verstappen is feeling towards Red Bull employees over their disappointing work on the RB22, and his desire to walk away from the sport is understandable.

And with Verstappen’s interest shifting from Red Bull to GT3 racing, there is good reason to believe he will either leave the team or retire from Formula One entirely very soon.

There has been no word on Verstappen’s sentiment about Lambiase’s exit, but given how close the two are, it’s hard to imagine him being thrilled about losing another key and trusted Red Bull figure.