Red Bull have stopped sharing ‘confidential information’ with Gianpiero Lambiase before he leaves

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Max Verstappen’s relationship with Red Bull is once again being tested after he spun out of the British Grand Prix on Sunday.

Verstappen was pursuing a potential podium when he lost control through Stowe and spun into the gravel, where he became beached.

Red Bull have indicated that, for the second straight weekend, an issue at the rear of the car was to blame for the incident. Verstappen crashed out of qualifying at the Austrian GP after a sudden loss of downforce.

What will Max Verstappen’s disastrous British Grand Prix mean for his relationship with Red Bull?

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Red Bull’s secrecy with Gianpiero Lambiase raises questions over internal dynamics

While Verstappen didn’t hit the wall here, he still described the recurring rear-end issue as ‘dangerous’. It comes after a dispute over whether he should have started the race from the pit lane.

Verstappen was outqualified by Isack Hadjar on Saturday, with Red Bull detecting a power issue on the straights. The four-time world champion wanted to take the car out of parc ferme to make significant changes, a move he felt would actually improve his prospects, but Red Bull were reluctant to give up their P7 starting position.

After his retirement, already his third of the year, Verstappen is guaranteed to be outside the top two in the standings by the summer break. This is important because it will bring an exit clause into play.

According to De Telegraaf and Erik van Haren, tensions are ‘simmering’ between Verstappen’s camp and Red Bull’s leadership because the driver is refusing to commit to the team. He’s also unwilling to give up the clause, even if he’s compensated, because he wants full control over his future.

With Mercedes committed to George Russell for 2027 and Ferrari also sticking with their current line-up, Verstappen’s only semi-realistic alternative is McLaren. Gianpiero Lambiase’s impending move to Woking strengthens those links.

A date for Lambiase’s departure has not been set, but he is expected to start work at McLaren in 2028.

In anticipation of him joining a rival team, technical director Pierre Wache has stopped sharing certain ‘confidential information’ with Lambiase, who is the head of racing as well as Verstappen’s engineer. It’s unclear what exactly is off-limits, but this raises questions over the internal dynamics.

While McLaren have acknowledged that they have spoken to Verstappen, they were likely assessing the long-term driver market landscape rather than making immediate plans to replace one of their drivers.

Verstappen is more likely to take Oscar Piastri’s seat given that Lando Norris won the title last year, but there’s still a scenario where he is effectively given no choice but to stay at Red Bull, even if he does seek a move away.