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Max Verstappen Kicks Off Partnership with New Red Bull F1 Engineer
Highlights
- Tom Hart replaces Gianpiero Lambiase for three 2026 races.
- Hart engineers Verstappen at US, Sao Paulo, and Las Vegas GPs.
- Lambiase moves to McLaren, remains Red Bull’s head of racing.
- Hart started at Red Bull in 2012, promoted in 2020.
- Changes occur amid Verstappen’s 2026 championship title pursuit.
- Final six races include Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar, Abu Dhabi.
Max Verstappen partners new race engineer Tom Hart at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
Red Bull is managing Gianpiero Lambiase’s likely switch to McLaren, potentially finalised by the end of next year.
Hart will engineer Verstappen at Austin, Sao Paulo, and Las Vegas. Lambiase retains race-engineer duties at Mexico City, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, maintaining continuity through the run-in.
During Hart’s three events, Lambiase remains on site as Red Bull’s head of racing, ranking behind team principal Laurent Mekies and technical director Pierre Wache in the operational hierarchy.
Tom Hart leads Verstappen’s engineering at Austin, Sao Paulo, and Las Vegas; Gianpiero Lambiase handles Mexico City, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
Hart joined Red Bull in July 2012 as a race engineering intern, then moved into simulator performance work in late 2014, a role he held through December 2019.
He became a performance engineer in early 2020 and has worked closely with Lambiase within Verstappen’s group. He had agreed a senior Williams role alongside Alex Albon.
Hart joined Red Bull in 2012 and was promoted to performance engineer in 2020.
After Red Bull confirmed Lambiase’s McLaren move in April, Hart withdrew from the Williams deal to remain. He now becomes Verstappen’s third race engineer at Red Bull.
Simon Rennie previously covered for Lambiase at Austria and Belgium in 2025, maintaining short-term continuity during his absence.
This switch lands during Verstappen’s 2026 title push under evolving 2026 rules, increasing the premium on stable radio communication and efficient setup cycles.
After Austin, five rounds follow: Mexico City on November 1, Brazil on November 8, Las Vegas on November 22, Qatar on November 29, and Abu Dhabi on December 6.
Five races follow Austin: Mexico City (Nov 1), Brazil (Nov 8), Las Vegas (Nov 22), Qatar (Nov 29), Abu Dhabi (Dec 6).
Operational risk looks limited given Hart’s embedded role with Verstappen. The handover should preserve run-plan cadence and feedback style, complementing Red Bull’s evolving data-driven strategy tools.
Immediate tests span contrasting demands: Austin’s bumps and tyre management, Interlagos’ changeable weather, and Las Vegas’ low-grip, cool-night surface. The pairing’s adaptability will be closely watched.
Visual Summary
Verstappen Gets New Voice On The Radio!
Tom Hart replaces Gianpiero Lambiase for the US, Brazil, and Las Vegas Grands Prix as Red Bull reshuffles its race engineering team in Verstappen’s 2026 title hunt.
The New Partnership Debuts At…
🇺🇸
Austin
Oct 18
🇧🇷
São Paulo
Nov 8
🇺🇸
Las Vegas
Nov 22
All Eyes On Chemistry & Performance!
Who’s Tom Hart?
Joined Red Bull: 2012 (intern ➔ simulator ➔ performance ➔ now race engineer)
Why now? Lambiase moves to McLaren 2027.
Goal: Keep Verstappen’s title bid on track!
Goal: Keep Verstappen’s title bid on track!
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
