Source: IMAGN IMAGES/Gary A. Vasquez
[Saba Sports News] The F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has concluded, with Max Verstappen securing his eighth race victory of the season, but missing out on the world championship by just two points. At this moment, not only fans felt regret; also captured by the cameras was Gianpiero Lambiase, a senior engineer at Red Bull and one of Verstappen’s closest friends, who lost control of his emotions. As the checkered flag fell, Lambiase was seen crying in the pit area like a child, completely overwhelmed.
For him, this was not just the end of the season but also a tumultuous, stressful year that nearly brought him to a breaking point. In 2025, Lambiase continued to serve as Verstappen’s race engineer while also being promoted to the role of Red Bull’s racing operations manager. The dual responsibilities left him exhausted, during which he had to miss both the Austrian and Belgian Grands Prix due to work pressure. This year, the Red Bull team was in a state of turmoil. In addition to performance fluctuations and championship pressures, the team structure underwent significant changes. After the British Grand Prix, team principal Christian Horner, who had been in charge for over 20 years, departed, and now one of the founding members, 82-year-old Helmut Marko, has also hinted at his possible retirement.
Against this backdrop, although Verstappen could not achieve a miraculous comeback, he spoke more about gratitude and perseverance after the race. During his remarks, he specifically mentioned Lambiase, describing their relationship as that of friends rather than just that of an engineer and driver. Due to personal reasons, Lambiase’s position for the next year has yet to be finalized. According to insiders at Red Bull, this matter will be discussed soon.