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Meet Tom Hart, Max Verstappen’s New Winning Race Engineer
Highlights
- Tom Hart to engineer Verstappen at three late 2026 races.
- Gianpiero Lambiase moves to McLaren as chief racing officer.
- Hart has worked with Verstappen since 2020 as performance engineer.
- Hart’s role shift reflects Red Bull’s succession plan for 2027.
- Verstappen’s full-time engineer decision depends on Lambiase’s McLaren start.
Max Verstappen will hear a new voice at three of Formula 1’s final six 2026 races, with Tom Hart engineering him in Austin, São Paulo, and Las Vegas.
This temporary move follows Gianpiero Lambiase’s shift toward a McLaren role as chief racing officer, while he retains broader Red Bull duties as head of racing during those events.
Tom Hart will engineer Verstappen in Austin, São Paulo, and Las Vegas as part of Red Bull’s late-season plan.
Hart has worked alongside Lambiase since 2020 as performance engineer, refining setup choices, interrogating data trends, and building the communication cadence Verstappen prefers.
He joined Red Bull in 2012 as a race engineering intern, progressed to simulator performance engineer from 2014 to 2019, then moved trackside and into senior performance engineer responsibilities.
Hart has run free practice sessions and test days, gaining targeted race engineering experience under live conditions.
That progression includes running free practice sessions, test days, and filming obligations, providing limited but relevant race engineering exposure under live conditions.
A planned 2026 switch to Williams as Alex Albon’s engineer collapsed, fortuitously aligning with Red Bull’s succession planning as Lambiase’s exit timeline firmed up.
Red Bull expects minimal disruption. Hart’s familiarity with Verstappen’s preferences should stabilise operations and preserve the team’s execution during a compressed, travel-heavy run-in.
Red Bull views Hart’s promotion as a key step in its 2027 succession planning.
The longer-term picture remains open. Whether Hart becomes Verstappen’s full-time engineer in 2027 hinges partly on Lambiase’s McLaren start date and ongoing contract discussions.
That decision dovetails with Verstappen’s 2027 programme and Red Bull’s broader planning around staffing continuity and leadership transitions.
Recent results underline the stake. Verstappen’s late-season momentum, including a notable comeback win, shows how stable engineering links can convert pace into points.
The change also fits the transformations within Red Bull this year, which emphasise depth, adaptability, and robust decision-making under cost cap and operational constraints.
Execution in Austin, São Paulo, and Las Vegas will inform preparations for the late flyaways and the Middle East leg, where operational rhythm often decides margins.
Visual Summary
🗣️
➡️
🎧
The Voice Behind The Visor Changes
Max Verstappen
gets a temporary race engineer swap
gets a temporary race engineer swap
🇺🇸
Austin
US GP
🇧🇷
São Paulo
Brazil GP
🎲
Vegas
Las Vegas GP
Tom Hart
— the familiar face in Red Bull’s garage — steps into the high-stakes role as Verstappen’s new race engineer for three crucial races.
Can he keep Verstappen’s momentum alive as the title fight intensifies?
— the familiar face in Red Bull’s garage — steps into the high-stakes role as Verstappen’s new race engineer for three crucial races.
Can he keep Verstappen’s momentum alive as the title fight intensifies?
2012
2026
?
Hart’s Red Bull evolution:
From intern to Verstappen’s right-hand engineer (…at least for now)
From intern to Verstappen’s right-hand engineer (…at least for now)
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.
