Second Max Verstappen ally just told Red Bull he won’t attend any 2026 races amid Helmut Marko exit

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull embarked on a new era in 2025 by sacking Christian Horner, and the changes look set to continue with motorsport adviser Helmut Marko widely expected to leave.

Marko has been a vital figure for Red Bull ever since the late Dietrich Mateschitz brought the Austrian energy drink brand to the grid in 2005. He was Mateschitz’s right-hand man and led the Red Bull Junior Team, which produced drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Marko also became a very close ally of Verstappen, who publicly came out in his support at the height of the 82-year-old’s fight for power at Red Bull with Horner in 2024. The Austrian survived that fight, which ended when Red Bull fired Horner after 20 years in charge in July.

But Marko is now expected to leave Red Bull at the end of 2025, despite having a contract to stay on through the 2026 F1 season. It is also widely expected that Marko will retire, and the Graz native is not the only close ally at Red Bull that Verstappen seems set to lose next term.

Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will not attend any F1 races in 2026

Gianpiero Lambiase has also decided that the 2025 F1 season will be his last year serving as Verstappen’s Red Bull race engineer. That is according to Autosport Web, which reports that the British-Italian engineer has just told Red Bull that he will not attend any races next term.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko? Everything to know

Who is Helmut Marko’s greatest Red Bull Junior Team product to race in F1?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

The 45-year-old will continue to work for Red Bull next year, but he has chosen to move into a role based fully at their factory in Milton Keynes for personal reasons. Lambiase has been Verstappen’s race engineer since the 28-year-old replaced Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull in 2016.

Last Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale, in which Lando Norris beat Verstappen to win the 2025 F1 title by only two points, is due to mark Lambiase’s final race on the Red Bull pit wall. Lambiase was particularly emotional on their pit wall at the chequered flag, as well.

Lambiase missed two races during the 2025 F1 season because of the personal reasons that have driven his decision to step down as Verstappen’s race engineer. Simon Rennie stood in for Lambiase on Red Bull’s pit wall across the Austrian GP in June and the Belgian GP in July.

Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff eyes a new head of PR after sacking Christian Horner ally Paul Smith

Which Red Bull Junior Team product was Helmut Marko wrong to deny an F1 career?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

The changes at Red Bull in their post-Horner era under new team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies also look set to continue beyond Marko’s exit and Lambiase stepping down from his role. It is still unclear who will replace Lambiase after 10 years as Verstappen’s race engineer.

According to a report by Motorsport.com, Red Bull GmbH managing director Oliver Mintzlaff and his team could now adopt a greater day-to-day role in the running of Red Bull Racing in the wake of Marko’s exit. Mintzlaff met Marko this Monday to debate his future at the team.

Mintzlaff has also put forward a new head of PR for Red Bull Racing, having also parted ways with head of PR Paul Smith upon sacking Horner in July. On the same day that Horner exited Milton Keynes for the final time, Red Bull briskly escorted Smith out of their factory, as well.