Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Gianpiero Lambiase reportedly eyed an exit from Red Bull before there was any interest from McLaren.
Lambiase’s decision to join McLaren in 2028 came as a surprise, despite the fact there were reports about him eyeing an exit before.
Red Bull seemed likely to lose Lambiase sooner rather than later, given the trajectory Red Bull have been on over the last few years.
Jos Verstappen doubts Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull because of Gianpiero Lambiase’s departure like he vowed in 2021 – Who do you think should replace GP?
Lambiase is the latest key Red Bull figure to leave the team in the last few years, as their championship core gets depleted further and further.
However, Gianpiero Lambiase may have made a shrewd move to try and secure a deal with McLaren, one that involved dealing directly with the press.
READ MORE: Alex Brundle compares Gianpiero Lambiase joining McLaren to Lewis Hamilton signing with Ferrari
Gianpiero Lambiase eyed reunion with Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay at McLaren
During an appearance on UOL Esporte, F1 reporter Julianne Cerasoli revealed that McLaren had made no indication about their interest in Gianpiero Lambiase, primarily as they had no idea about his availability.
In fact, she believes Lambiase leaked Aston Martin’s interest in him to try and leverage the market and secure a deal with McLaren, one that allowed him to reunite with Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay.
“I heard nothing from McLaren. It was clear that he wanted to leave Red Bull. When something like that appears, like a link to Aston Martin, he must have actually asked someone to publish it to see if his name would enter the market.
“That’s what happens. It makes sense that Rob Marshall is at McLaren, Will Courtenay as well. So, people who were in his circle going there probably attracted him.
“It seems like McLaren, at the moment, have a better culture for their employees than Red Bull.”
READ MORE: Alex Brundle shares why Red Bull must replace Max Verstappen engineer Gianpiero Lambiase after 2026
Who is the greater driver, Sebastian Vettel or Max Verstappen?
Two Red Bull greats… One massive decision 👀
Red Bull’s recent string of departures was anticipated by F1 insiders
Speaking further in the episode, Cersoli revealed that many within the industry felt that Dietrich Mateschitz was keeping things together at Red Bull.
“I remember hearing ’(Without Mateschitz), you’ll see. One by one, this will all end. He’s the one holding all of this together…’
“It started with a power struggle… Everyone was waiting to get a piece of the cake. Since then, you’ve seen several people who don’t agree with what’s happening there, and they’ve been leaving.”
The tragic passing of Mateschitz was a devastating loss for Red Bull. However, to try and connect their recent struggles with talent to this event was definitely in poor taste.
Many in Red Bull chose to pursue new ventures to try and further their careers, feeling that they had hit a ceiling with Red Bull.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
