Ferrari tried to sign Gianpiero Lambiase two years ago but hit F1 cost cap obstacle

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Ferrari had contact with Gianpiero Lambiase in 2024 but a deal was not viable, Italian journalist Roberto Chinchero has revealed.

It was recently confirmed that Lambiase will leave Red Bull to join McLaren as their new chief racing officer. Laurent Mekies says he will see out his contract first, which runs until the end of 2027.

Lambiase has been one of the most respected engineers in the Formula 1 paddock for several years, having been Verstappen’s right-hand man during one of the most dominant periods in the sport’s history.

Red Bull promoted him to head of racing in September 2024, though it’s unclear if this was linked to Ferrari’s approach.

Ferrari held talks with Gianpiero Lambiase in 2024

Speaking on the Motorsport Italia YouTube channel, Chinchero said there were two obstacles that prevented Ferrari from signing Lambiase.

The first was Lambiase’s understandable desire not to uproot his life by moving to Italy, even though his parents are from the country. By contrast, McLaren’s Woking base is only around 65 miles away from Red Bull’s Milton Keynes factory.

In the past, Ferrari were able to pay higher salaries than the competition to attract the best talent, but now the cost-cap stands in their way. Only the wages of the three highest-paid employees can be excluded, though drivers are exempt.

“I know he had also had contacts with Ferrari two years ago,” said Chinchero. “I think there’s an advantage if you’re in the English motorsport valley.

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“If you have a great professional opportunity, something that changes your life, you don’t have to move your family, your house, your children, the same schools, everything.

“Coming to Maranello is another story. You have to move your family, you have to move everything, you have to change languages.

“I mean, maybe once upon a time, Ferrari could count on the salary, but today this bonus is reserved for a couple of figures who are outside the budget cap. The rest, you’re in the budget cap, you can no longer afford to pay more than the competition pays.”

Lambiase’s McLaren move could still have ramifications for Ferrari, who are reportedly interested in Andrea Stella. ‘GP’ is seen as a potential successor to Stella in the long run.

Could Gianpiero Lambiase have been Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer?

The timing of Ferrari’s approach to Lambiase is intriguing. In May 2024, the team announced that Bryan Bozzi would replace Xavi Marcos as Charles Leclerc’s race engineer.

Perhaps Lambiase was their plan A, then they went for an internal candidate instead.

Ferrari knew Carlos Sainz was leaving the team at the end of the season, with Lewis Hamilton replacing him. Theoretically, Lambiase and Hamilton could have formed a dream team in 2025.

In reality, though, it’s difficult to imagine the pair working together given the bitter nature of the Hamilton/Verstappen championship battle in 2021. Lambiase has an extremely strong bond with the Red Bull driver.

Hamilton linked up with Riccardo Adami when he joined, but Ferrari broke up the partnership after a difficult first season. He is now supported by Carlo Santi, who formerly sat on the pit wall for Kimi Raikkonen.