It was confirmed on 9 April that Gianpiero Lambiase – Verstappen’s long-time race engineer – will leave Red Bull at the end of the 2027 season to join McLaren Racing as chief racing officer.
The role will see him oversee trackside operations and report directly to team principal Andrea Stella, as part of a plan to strengthen McLaren’s leadership structure.
While that move has already been locked in, it is Palmer’s latest remarks that have intensified the conversation.
Speaking recently on the F1 Nation podcast, he made it clear that Lambiase’s eventual exit could have a deep impact on Verstappen’s thinking.
“GP is such a key figure for Max,” Palmer said. “He’s the link between the driver and the team, and losing that connection changes a lot.”
Lambiase has worked alongside Verstappen since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, forming one of the most effective driver–engineer partnerships in Formula 1. Importantly, he will remain in place at Red Bull until the end of 2027, continuing both as head of racing and Verstappen’s race engineer.
However, Palmer pointed to wider concerns within Red Bull, including performance inconsistency and recent staff changes, as reasons why Verstappen may begin to look elsewhere sooner rather than later.
“If the team isn’t clearly moving forward and key people are leaving, it becomes harder for any driver to stay fully committed,” he explained.
For now, Verstappen remains under contract and focused on the season ahead. Attention turns to the next race, the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May at the Miami International Autodrome – a crucial moment for Red Bull to show progress on track.
