Red Bull set for another coup, picks Lambiase’s successor

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It appears that Red Bull Racing has found the man tasked with stepping into one of the most influential roles in Formula 1.

According to reports in Germany, the Milton Keynes squad is lining up outgoing Aston Martin engineer Tom McCullough as the figure who should ultimately succeed Gianpiero Lambiase, the long-time race engineer and trusted confidant of Max Verstappen.

Nothing has been officially announced, but the timing is notable. Lambiase is already confirmed to be joining McLaren no later than 2028, bringing an end to one of the most successful driver-engineer partnerships of the modern era.

His departure has left Red Bull with a significant vacancy both on the pit wall and within its race engineering leadership structure.

Verstappen factor looms large

Lambiase’s exit has inevitably intensified speculation surrounding Verstappen’s own future. The Dutchman has been repeatedly linked with a potential move away from Red Bull, and McLaren has emerged as one of the teams frequently mentioned in the rumor mill.

Against that backdrop, Red Bull’s choice of replacement takes on added significance. The expectation had been that internal candidate Tom Hart would remain with the team rather than pursue an opportunity at Williams, positioning him as the natural successor to Lambiase in the garage.

The latest report, however, points in a different direction.

BILD claims that McCullough, who is leaving Aston Martin after a 13-year spell spanning the Force India, Racing Point and Aston Martin eras, is now the leading candidate for the role. Whether that would mean taking Hart’s expected position, assuming Lambiase’s duties as Head of Race Engineering, or some combination of the two remains unclear.

Another statement signing?

If McCullough does arrive, Red Bull would be making a second headline-grabbing recruitment in the space of a few weeks.

Before the summer break, the team confirmed the appointment of Gwen Lagrue, formerly Mercedes’ Driver Development Adviser and widely credited with identifying current championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Lagrue has joined Red Bull’s junior programme following Helmut Marko's retirement at the end of 2025.

That move was interpreted as a signal that Red Bull intends to refresh key areas of its operation after a period marked by several high-profile departures.

McCullough would fit that pattern. He brings extensive experience in trackside performance, race operations and team management, and his arrival would represent an external injection of expertise at a moment when Red Bull is trying to stabilize its engineering structure.

For now, the story remains in the realm of informed speculation. Yet if the reports prove accurate, Red Bull’s post-Lambiase era may already be taking shape – and the team’s next major hire could be a familiar face from a rival garage rather than a promotion from within.

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Michael Delaney