Here are three 12-word intro bullets based on the news regarding the Verstappens:
- Jos Verstappen confirms support of Lambiase’s decision to join McLaren.
- Max’s future remains uncertain as his long-term race engineer exits Red Bull.
- Verstappen Snr. expects Max to continue racing despite retirement threats.
Jos Verstappen reacted to Gianpiero “GP” Lambiase’s departure from Red Bull in 2028 and offered his stance on his son, Max Verstappen’s potential retirement.
In a recent interview, he revealed that they all were aware of GP’s move to McLaren for a while now and had encouraged him to grab the opportunity. After serving as head of racing and Verstappen’s engineer, GP will report to team principal Andrea Stella at McLaren as chief racing engineer.
GP’s departure news has, however, sent fans into a frenzy as they recall a 2021 interview of Max Verstappen, in which he said he would stop his career if his engineer did. He boldly stated that he’ll only work with him.
Now, this interview has sparked speculation, including Verstappen entirely being out of the sport or moving to McLaren to become teammates with Lando Norris.
Many believe that McLaren now has an upper hand in signing Verstappen in the future, as they have managed to bag his favourite race engineer. Moreover, as retirement rumours continue to grow around Max Verstappen, Jos Verstappen has left the decision entirely up to the four-time world champion regarding the future of his F1 career.
The Verstappens knew about GP’s switch to McLaren
In a conversation with RaceXpress, Jos Verstappen revealed that they had known beforehand about GP’s departure from Red Bull to McLaren and were supportive of it. Hoping to make the most of their remaining time with him, he added, “We’ve got another year and a half or two years to work with him. It’s a huge opportunity for him, and we understand that. We’ve also told him: you have to go for it and grab it with both hands.”
He now leaves the decision of finding his replacement to the team.
GP spent over a decade with Red Bull, offering them technical, engineering, and trackside expertise, which contributed significantly to their path to success.
He was not just a professional head of racing and engineer at the team, but a trusted ally of Verstappen, with them having experienced the challenges and joys in the sport together.
Their strong-headed personalities, winner mindset, and strong-willed attitude complemented each other well, with the duo being known for their team radio communications, which often featured a mix of heated disagreements and lively exchanges.
Jos Verstappen gives his verdict on the champ’s career
Jos believe that things have seemingly “changed” for Max Verstappen, following his very old claim of ending his run with GP. He thinks that together they have attained immense success and secured four titles.
Following GP’s departure, he leaves the decision with the champ on whether he wants to stay in F1 or head out. Providing hope to fans, Jos added, “The final decision is up to Max, but I think he’ll just carry on.”
Since the start of the season, Max has openly criticised new regulations, as he believes the current cars are just energy management and have lost the essence of real racing. In several interviews, he also claimed that he’s not enjoying what he’s doing.
However, Max Verstappen does not intend to quit immediately and has previously said he will wait for the remaining races to assess before making a career-altering decision.
