Max Verstappen's engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is to join McLaren in 2028 in a shock move from Red Bull.
After details of the switch emerged earlier on Thursday, Red Bull and McLaren confirmed the news in separate statements.
Red Bull said Lambiase will leave them "in 2028, when his current contract expires" with McLaren confirming that the highly-regarded engineer will take on the role of chief racing officer with their team when he starts "no later than 2028".
McLaren's statement read: "The role of the chief racing officer already exists within the team's structure with overall leadership of the race team. These duties are currently managed by Andrea Stella in addition to his role as team principal.
"Lambiase is the latest hire designed to strengthen and support the talent pool that exists at McLaren Mastercard, while also reaffirming the team's long-term commitment to confirming its position as a championship-winning team.
"The team's ability to attract and secure top talent, like Lambiase, and previously Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, alongside the retention and promotion of highly-talented people already within the team, is a testament to the strategic vision and culture that are integrally embodied in the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team under the leadership of Zak Brown and Andrea Stella, who are also both on long-term contracts."
Red Bull said that Lambiase will continue in his dual role of Verstappen's race engineer and the team's head of racing until his "planned departure".
Verstappen has previously stated he would walk away from F1 if Lambiase is not his race engineer, so the change from 2028 could be critical to the four-time world champion's own future.
Lambiase is the only race engineer Verstappen has had since he joined Red Bull in 2016.
Sources close to Stella say any links for a return to Ferrari are false and Lambiase's move to McLaren will give the Italian more freedom to focus on certain aspects of his team principal role.
Lambiase recently turned down an offer from Aston Martin to be their team principal but McLaren is more attractive to him after he held talks with their bosses.
In a statement, Red Bull said: "Oracle Red Bull Racing confirms that Gianpiero Lambiase will leave the team in 2028, when his current contract expires. 'GP' is a valued member of the team, which he joined in 2015.
"Until his planned departure, 'GP' continues in his roles as head of racing and as race engineer to Max Verstappen.
"The team and he are fully committed to add more success to our strong track record together."
The move will only add to question marks about Verstappen's future in the sport after his criticism over F1's 2026 regulations.
Verstappen said at the last F1 race in Japan that he is considering walking away from the sport at the end of this season, despite having a Red Bull contract until 2028.
Lambiase is the latest key Red Bull figure to join McLaren after Rob Marshall joined the Woking-based outfit as a technical director in 2024 and Will Courtenay joined this year as sporting director.
Legendary designer Adrian Newey left Red Bull to join Aston Martin last year, while long-time team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko also departed.
Verstappen and Lambiase's relationship is described by many as a marriage with the pair bluntly talking to each other on the radio, often leading to some questioning the dynamic.
However, it is a relationship Verstappen has consistently praised due to the straightforwardness and clear communication between the duo.
After winning his first F1 drivers' title in 2021, Verstappen revealed he would no longer drive in F1 if Lambiase was not his engineer.
"I have said to him I only work with him. As soon as he stops, I stop too," he told Ziggo Sport.
"Of course, we can be pretty strict with each other sometimes, but I want that too. He has to tell me when I'm being a jerk and I have to tell him. I always told him that."
Verstappen's radio has sometimes been seen as confrontational, particularly when he's unhappy with the car or a decision from the team but he defended his approach, insisting the language is important.
"That's how we operate," he told Your Site F1 at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix after a seemingly heated radio exchange with Lambiase during the race weekend.
"I think we know each other very well from all the years we have been working together."
Lambiase has been Red Bull's head of racing since the start of 2025 after Jonathan Wheatley left the team, putting him only behind team principal Laurent Mekies and technical director Pierre Wache in the hierarchy. However, his main responsibility remains being Verstappen's race engineer.
He said: "You have chats with him outside the track - what you hear on the broadcast, that's not necessarily Max, that's him with the adrenaline at the time.
"As much as he has this bravado, he will absorb every piece of information that goes through his ears and that's his real strength. We can always rely on him in the heat of the moment to do the right thing."
Your Site' Nigel Chiu:
"Just when things were quiet in the world of F1 during this month without any racing, we get word that one of the sport's most successful driver-race engineer relationships will end at some point in the next 20 months.
"Red Bull are the big losers and McLaren the big winners as they gain the experience and knowledge of Lambiase, who has effectively managed the best driver on the grid wonderfully over the last 10 years.
"You do wonder if this is another sign Verstappen is closer to leaving Red Bull and if he's perhaps told 'GP' - as he's known' to think about his own career because the Dutchman doesn't plan on being around in F1 for too long.
"And in doing so, Lambiase has held talks with McLaren, finding them a better fit for Aston Martin who are currently in the doldrums."
Formula 1 returns on May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season's second Sprint weekend, live on Your Site F1.
