Verstappen’s engineer Lambiase earns promotion amid Red Bull restructure

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

In a significant reshuffle within the Red Bull Racing team, Max Verstappen’s renowned race engineer Gianpiero "GP" Lambiase has been promoted to a more senior position, stepping up as head of racing. This decision comes amidst a strategic reorganization aimed at replacing the outgoing sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.

Jonathan Wheatley is set to leave Red Bull to take on the role of team principal at Sauber starting early 2025, a year before the team transitions to Audi. Rather than filling Wheatley’s former position directly, Red Bull has chosen to elevate several internal figures within its championship-winning team.

Lambiase, a familiar name to Formula 1 fans through his longstanding collaboration with Verstappen and their dynamic race communications, will transition from head of race engineering to his new role. In his expanded capacity, Lambiase will continue overseeing Verstappen’s race strategies from the pit wall but will also assume broader responsibilities. His new duties include management of the race, heritage, and car-build teams, as well as oversight of the strategy group and compliance with sporting regulations. He will now report directly to the technical director, Pierre Wache.

Steve Knowles, previously a senior strategy engineer, will take on Wheatley’s crucial responsibilities as the acting head of sporting matters, effectively becoming Red Bull’s primary representative in dealings with the FIA. This includes managing driver summonses to the stewards and handling any appeals or protests lodged by Red Bull. Knowles will report directly to Lambiase in his new role.

The restructuring highlights Red Bull’s confidence in its internal talent and the strength of its race operation. The promotion of seasoned team members like Lambiase and Knowles is a testament to the team’s depth and expertise.

Wheatley’s departure comes at a pivotal moment for Red Bull, coinciding with the exit of legendary designer Adrian Newey, who is set to join Aston Martin ahead of the 2025 season.

In additional moves within the reshuffle, Rich Wolverson has been promoted to head of race team operations, thereby managing the race team’s daily functions. Gerrard O’Reilly steps up as head of race team support and logistics, and chief mechanic Phil Turner will now serve as the race team factory operations manager.

Red Bull’s strategic reorganization aims to bolster its team’s operational strength and maintain its competitive edge as it continues to dominate the Formula 1 landscape.

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