Max Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, have gained attention for their casual and direct communication style, often leading to intense exchanges over the Red Bull team radio.
Following his commanding victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen took a moment to reflect on a notable radio exchange with Lambiase during the race. Despite securing his third win of the season with relative ease, Verstappen expressed concern over his car’s handling.
During the race, Verstappen voiced his dissatisfaction over the radio regarding the level of understeer he was experiencing in his car.
It soon became apparent that this issue stemmed not only from the car’s setup but also from a decision made by Verstappen himself, contrary to Lambiase’s advice before the race.
Acknowledging the situation, Verstappen conceded, “Yeah, maybe one or two clicks less is okay,” prompting a brief reply from Lambiase: “I won’t say I told you so but understood. Thank you.”
This brief yet revealing exchange encapsulates the dynamic between Verstappen and Lambiase, characterized by their directness and mutual understanding within the high-pressure environment of Formula 1 racing.
The recent radio exchange between Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase adds to a series of communications that, while appearing tense, underscore the effectiveness of their partnership.
Verstappen, reflecting on the incident after the race, humorously brushed it off while speaking to reporters. He remarked, “We had, not an argument, but he said, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ I was pretty sure and it turned out to be wrong!”
“But he was right. In a way, it also fires me up because I am like, ‘Even though I am not entirely happy with the balance now I will still try to be as consistent as I can be without shouting back at him.’ We have a great relationship and it works well like that.”
Verstappen and Lambiase have collaborated since Verstappen joined the team as a teenager back in 2016. Team principal Christian Horner once likened their relationship to “an old married couple,” highlighting the depth of their partnership.
This sentiment was echoed by adviser Helmut Marko following the Suzuka race: “There was a very long discussion before about how many clicks of the front wing we had to change. Max insisted and Gianpiero was happy when it turned out that he was right in the end.
“Max and his race engineer are very experienced, also together with the data engineer. They know what to do and they know what Max likes. It was more or less the right decision, we just had to make a small adjustment after the first stint, so during the first stop.”
In a recent statement, Lambiase suggested that he would continue working with Verstappen even if the driver decided to part ways with Red Bull. “Maybe I am speaking out of turn, but I don’t think I would have any interest in working with another driver now,” he expressed.
