Red Bull Confirms New Role For Max Verstappen's Race Engineer After Multiple Staff Exits

Saajan Jogia | Sep 18, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Crewmembers work on the car of Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) on the grid before the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Red Bull has internally announced changes to its organizational structure, promoting key team members to fill gaps left by recent staff departures. The changes have also affected Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who is set to manage a dual role within the team.

Red Bull has witnessed the departure of several important employees this season, including the most recent and popular move of chief technical officer Adrian Newey to Aston Martin for the role of managing technical partner and shareholder, starting in March 2025.

Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley announced his exit mid-season. He will move to Sauber in 2025, which is undergoing a takeover by Audi. Sailing through a tumultuous period, the Christian Horner-led team decided to leverage staff from within the team to manage the roles that had been left unoccupied. This approach allows Red Bull to avoid external hires, while promoting internal talent to take on additional responsibilities, keeping the team motivated and engaged.

Red Bull has yet to officially announce the structural changes, but staff were informed of the updates on Wednesday, ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. The biggest change was Lambiase's promotion to the role of head of racing where he will be responsible for the team's racing activities, and manage subordinates who report to him. However, it has been made clear that he will simultaneously continue to remain Verstappen's race engineer.

Under Lambiase, Richard Wolverson, formerly a senior engineer of car engineering, has been appointed as head of racing operations. Meanwhile, senior strategy engineer Stephen Knowles has stepped into the newly established role of head of sporting regulations, where he will oversee the team's adherence to F1's regulations and serve as the primary liaison with the FIA.

In addition, Gerrard O’Reilly, Red Bull’s head of freight operations, will now take full charge of team logistics. This shift is designed to boost operational efficiency, which is vital for success under the cost cap era. Horner highlighted the need to restructure the team for the "challenges to come." He told the media:

“We are in the midst of a period of significant change and development at Oracle Red Bull Racing, and in light of the challenges to come, we have made the decision to alter the structure of the race team.

“The appointments will serve to give us greater capacity across a number of crucial areas and ultimately will, I believe, make the team more competitive.

“For me, it is especially rewarding to have promoted people from within. We have a huge resource of exceptionally talented people at Oracle Red Bull Racing and I am delighted that we can give them the opportunity to shine in roles that were not previously open. It’s a step forward for the team as a whole.”