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GIANPIERO LAMBIASE OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED AS MAX VERSTAPPEN’S RACE ENGINEER FOR 2026

GianPiero Lambiase is confirmed for Red Bull 2026. Discover why Max Verstappen calls his race engineer his "best friend" and ally.

GianPiero Lambiase officially confirmed as Max Verstappen’s race engineer for 2026
Verstappen and Lambiase reunite for 2026

Max Verstappen says his connection with GianPiero Lambiase goes way beyond the usual driver-engineer relationship. He doesn’t just see him as a colleague—he calls him a friend.

He shared these thoughts right after clinching victory at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. At the time, nobody knew if Lambiase would stick with Red Bull or head off to Aston Martin. Now, with Red Bull confirming Lambiase will stay on for 2026, Verstappen’s words feel even more meaningful.

Lambiase has been by Verstappen’s side since May 2016, and their partnership started strong—winning their very first race together at the Spanish Grand Prix. Since then, they’ve picked up four consecutive world titles from 2021 to 2024.

This past season, Verstappen just missed out on a fifth championship. Lando Norris edged him out by two points at the Abu Dhabi finale. After the race, Lambiase looked crushed on the pit wall, holding back tears. People started to wonder if he was about to leave Verstappen behind for 2026.

At one point, it seemed like Lambiase might move into a behind-the-scenes role or even jump ship to Aston Martin, which had their eye on him for a senior position. But as of this week, Red Bull confirmed he’s staying put, keeping his race engineer job and head of racing duties for next season.

In the press conference after Abu Dhabi, Verstappen didn’t hide how much Lambiase means to him. “He’s my friend,” Max said. “I’m really proud to work with someone that good.”

He went on, “It’s been an emotional year. Forget about the results. I won’t get into all the details, but it’s been tough. I’m just happy I get to work with someone so passionate. Yeah, he’s my race engineer, but honestly, he’s my friend. We’ve been through so much together—the highs and the lows. I’m sure he was emotional after the race. I can’t wait to catch up with him, because this year hasn’t been easy for him. He’s a real example of someone who never gave up, even when things got rough.”

Now that Lambiase’s future is settled, Red Bull can focus on what’s coming next. The 2026 F1 season is bringing some of the biggest rule changes ever—half-electric powertrains, fully sustainable fuels, and active aerodynamics. Red Bull will build its own engines for the first time, working with Ford through its Powertrains division.

Next week, Red Bull and Racing Bulls will show off their 2026 car liveries at a Ford launch event in Detroit. The new Red Bull RB22 is set to run pushrod suspension at both the front and back, and Ferrari’s going down the same path for their 2026 car. Most teams are likely to use this double-pushrod setup—it should make the cars more predictable as F1 ditches the ground-effect designs used from 2022 to 2025. Plus, it helps fit the new, more complex engines into the cars.

ANALYSIS: HOW NICK CASSIDY’S 13TH-TO-FIRST MASTERCLASS GAVE CITROëN ITS HISTORIC FIRST FORMULA E WIN

We analyse Nick Cassidy’s perfect energy strategy in Mexico City that handed Citroën a shock win in only their second-ever race.

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Nick Cassidy became champion after conquering Formula E’s 150th milestone race

Nick Cassidy pulled off a stunning drive in Mexico City, storming from 13th on the grid to hand Citroen its first Formula E win—only their second race in the series.

Citroen just joined the all-electric championship for the 2025/26 season, but they’re already making waves. Cassidy had already grabbed third in the Sao Paulo opener, and now he’s added a win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Smart energy management and a clever, off-sync Attack Mode strategy were the keys for the New Zealander, who shared the podium with Edoardo Mortara and reigning champ Oliver Rowland.

The day was a wild one—it was the 150th Formula E race, and it kicked off with drama in qualifying. Taylor Barnard set the fastest time, but a track limits violation at the final corner wiped out his lap in the duel for pole.

That handed the pole to Sebastien Buemi, but his luck didn’t last. He misjudged the first braking zone and went straight into the escape road at Turn 1. Barnard inherited the lead, but it was far from settled; early laps saw drivers swapping the front spot as they juggled energy-saving and Attack Mode timing.

Pascal Wehrlein jumped from eighth to first by lap five, hoping to control the race from the front—he figured overtaking would be tough later on. Turns out, he was wrong. Once his four-minute Attack Mode ended, Wehrlein slipped down the order, and it became clear that strategy would decide this one.

Patience with Attack Mode and saving battery for the end paid off, especially after a yellow flag-turned-safety car between laps 17 and 20. Nyck de Vries triggered that after a mechanical issue sent him off at Turn 1.

Things got messier on lap 25: Antonio Felix da Costa, defending from Cassidy, tangled with Maximilian Gunther, who spun and knocked da Costa into Dan Ticktum at Turns 5 and 6. That chaos was for the lower end of the top 10, while Cassidy’s charge was just heating up. Over the final 13 laps, he went all-in, using his full eight minutes of Attack Mode. He started with a six-minute burst, leaving him only two minutes of extra power just as Mortara—second place—still had four minutes left.

Even so, Cassidy managed his energy better than Mortara in the Mahindra, setting up a nail-biting finish. Mortara went on the attack, but Cassidy’s defence held solid, delivering his 13th series win. The close fight up front let Rowland close in and take third after passing Barnard and Jake Dennis in the late stages.

Wehrlein ended up sixth, with rookie Pepe Marti in seventh—he’d also saved his battery for a late push. Jean-Eric Vergne, Nico Muller, and Norman Nato rounded out the points.

Now, Cassidy leads the championship. And if the pattern holds, he’s in good shape: the last three Mexico City E-Prix winners all went on to become world champions.

COUNTDOWN TO MELBOURNE—LEWIS HAMILTON’S FULL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

Lewis Hamilton turns 41! Read his heartfelt message on disconnecting, the Year of the Horse, and his 2026 Ferrari test schedule.

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Hamilton’s first week at Maranello and Fiorano revealed

Lewis Hamilton turned 41 this week and took a moment to reach out to his fans, sharing a heartfelt message as he looks to bounce back with Ferrari this season.

Last year was rough for him—no podiums, not even once, which is a first in his 19 years of racing. He didn’t sugarcoat it, calling the season “very draining.”

After all that, Hamilton decided to really unplug during the off-season. He spent most of his winter break in the US, far from the racetrack. On his birthday, he hopped on Instagram to talk to his 42 million followers.

He wrote, “Another return, I’m incredibly grateful for this break. Time to disconnect, recharge, and find a bit of inner peace. Time with family and friends, replenishing with rest and good laughs, has been everything I needed after a very draining year.

In a world that moves so fast, where we’re constantly being pulled in so many directions, truly disconnecting has been the most amazing feeling.”

He also mentioned the Chinese New Year—this year is the Year of the Horse. He pointed out it’s a good moment for change, for starting new routines and dropping old habits. “Let go of things that don’t serve you,” he said. “It can take time, and sometimes you can’t get rid of everything at once, but it starts with that first step. Even though the world can seem like a mess, I hope you’re staying focused on living life to the fullest.”

Hamilton also thanked his fans for sticking with him during a tough 2025, a year that brought not just tough races but also the loss of his beloved bulldog, Roscoe.

“Be you and never forget who you are,” he said. “I learned that from so many of you who told me this in 2025, and I’ll never forget again! Your support means the world to me, and I’m here for you, too. You are never alone. Let’s take it one day at a time, one step at a time.”

Looking ahead, Hamilton will be at Ferrari’s 2026 F1 car livery launch in Maranello on January 23, then hit the track at Fiorano for a shakedown. After that, there’s a private test in Barcelona from January 26 to 30, followed by two official sessions in Bahrain in February.

The season kicks off in Melbourne on March 8, and Hamilton’s still chasing that record-breaking eighth world title.

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