Max Verstappen set for major race change for first time in F1 career at Austrian Grand Prix

The Irish Sun

19 hours ago

MAX VERSTAPPEN
will be without his right-hand man for the first time in his Formula One career at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend.
The 27-year-old's long-serving
race
engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has not made the trip to the team's home
race
in Spielberg.
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Max Verstappen must navigate his first F1 race without one of his closest allies in Austria
Credit: EPA
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Verstappen's chief engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will miss his first F1 race since 2016 for personal reasons
Credit: Getty
It will be the first time that Lambiase won't guide
race
since the Dutchman
stepped up from Toro Rosso to
Red Bull Racing
in May 2016
.
Also known simply as 'GP' in the paddock, Lambiase has been
the voice
in Verstappen's ear
for every single one of his 219 races.
Their relationship proved an instant success after Verstappen won on his debut at the Spanish Grand Prix to become the youngest race winner in F1 history.
– Verstappen now pushing for what would be a record-equalling fifth successive
championship
crown.
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Lambiase
was initially
race
engineer to
Daniil Kvyat
but, when the Russian was replaced mid-season by an 18-year-old
Verstappen
, he remained in the role
.
The Italian-British engineer, 44, will miss the
Austrian Grand Prix, the 11th
race
of the season,
for personal reasons
, according to ESPN.
In 2021, the Independent reported that
In Lambiase's place comes Simon Rennie, an experienced Red Bull employee who previously served as a
race
engineer and is currently Group Leader of Simulation Engineering at the team.
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Rennie,45, has plenty of experience in the role, having performed it for the likes of
Fernando Alonso
, Robert Kubica and
Kimi Raikkonen
at Renault.
H
e joined Red Bull in 2013, initially serving as race engineer to Mark Webber and then to
before moving to a factory role in 2019.
Max Verstappen goes for a spin around the upgraded F1 circuit at Zandvoort
He is no stranger to temporary stints back at the track, having served as Alex Albon's race engineer in 2020 for a brief spell.
Rennie is expected to fill in for just one weekend with Lambiase expected to return to his trackside duties at the
British Grand Prix at Silverstone
next
weekend.
Verstappen trails championship leader
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Lambiase is the engineer in charge of all pit-to-car communication with Verstappen on his earpiece during the races
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