F1 teams and the FIA have agreed to tweak 2026 energy management rules after a technical summit, targeting fixes for safety and qualifying concerns. An accelerated process aims to finalize and ratify changes before the Miami Grand Prix.
Colton Herta will be unable to compete in the 2026 Indianapolis 500 after a revised Formula 2 calendar created a direct date clash with the iconic race. The F2 round in Montreal now overlaps with the 500, making it logistically impossible for the American driver to participate in both events, forcing him to prioritize his F1 feeder series commitment.
Williams F1 Team has appointed Dan Milner, a key engineer from Mercedes' championship-winning era, as Chief Engineer of Vehicle Technology. This strategic hire aims to accelerate the team's technical development and reverse its difficult start under the 2026 regulations by injecting proven expertise into its rebuilding project.
F2 has swiftly replaced canceled 2026 season-openers in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with debut races in Miami and Montreal, preventing a major schedule gap. F1 and FIA leaders have praised the move, which stabilizes the championship and expands its presence in key North American markets while aiming for a future return to the Middle East.
McLaren has strategically hired Red Bull's highly-rated trackside engineer Gianpiero Lambiase as Chief Racing Officer, starting in 2028. The move strengthens McLaren's leadership team around Andrea Stella while dealing another blow to a Red Bull squad losing key personnel, with potential long-term implications for Max Verstappen's future.
McLaren has dealt a major blow to Red Bull by hiring Gianpiero Lambiase, the race engineer for champion Max Verstappen, as its new Chief Racing Officer. The high-profile poaching, set for 2028 or potentially earlier, marks a significant step in McLaren's plan to build a championship-winning team around proven talent from the sport's top outfits.
McLaren has officially announced the hiring of Red Bull's Gianpiero Lambiase as its new chief racing officer, a role that will give him full command of the race team when he joins by 2028. The move continues McLaren's strategy of recruiting top talent from its rivals to build a championship-winning structure.
Williams F1 team strengthens its technical department by appointing former Mercedes chief R&D engineer Dan Milner. With 14 years of experience from the championship-winning squad, Milner will lead vehicle technology development, aiming to accelerate Williams's ambitious plan to return to competitiveness.
Max Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is set to leave Red Bull for McLaren in 2028, fulfilling his own 2023 hint that he would seek a new challenge once his partnership with the champion ended. This planned exit directly coincides with Verstappen's contract expiry and amplifies existing questions about the driver's long-term future amid his criticism of modern F1.
Max Verstappen's vow to quit F1 if his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase leaves faces a direct test, as Lambiase is set to join McLaren in 2029. This threatens to upend the champion's future, adding to his existing frustrations with the sport and highlighting the deep personal loyalty that could dictate his next move.
Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is reportedly joining McLaren in 2028, marking the latest major exit in a two-year 'brain drain' that has seen Red Bull lose iconic figures like Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, and Helmut Marko. This exodus of key technical, strategic, and leadership personnel threatens the team's institutional knowledge and stability as it seeks to maintain its competitive edge.
Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s sole race engineer since 2016, will join McLaren as head of race engineering in 2028 after rejecting a top role at Aston Martin. Verstappen has warned he may quit F1 if Lambiase leaves, making the move a potential flashpoint for Red Bull’s driver‑team stability.
