Max Verstappen was caught off guard by Red Bull's first decision after he won the Singapore Grand Prix. It marked the first time he has won on the streets of Marina Bay at the 10th attempt, the venue having become something of a bogey circuit for both Verstappen and his Red Bull time. But they finally overcame it on Sunday as the Dutchman won comfortably from pole position, having also taken victory in the Sprint race 24 hours earlier.
Special victory with a poignant twist
The fact it was his first in Singapore made it a special victory in itself. But it was made all the more sweet by the fact he was able to celebrate it with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase on the podium. He was the team member selected by Red Bull to collect the trophy for the winning constructor.
As Verstappen pointed out afterwards, it was likely the last time the two of them will be on the Formula One podium together in the same colours. Lambiase has accepted a new role with McLaren and will stop working for Red Bull at the end of this season.
"I didn't expect him to go to the podium, so I was very happy that it was him," Verstappen told Dutch media after the podium ceremony. "This may well be the last time, yes. So, in any case, this one has a very special meaning."
Red Bull's succession plan
Red Bull have already decided on their succession plan to fill the sizeable gap which will be left by Lambiase. Tom Hart, Verstappen's current performance engineer, will step up to work as the Dutchman's race engineer, having reneged on an offer from Williams to stay once he was offered the promotion.
Meanwhile, the team has looked externally for the best candidate to cover Lambiase's other duties, since he was promoted to head of race engineering alongside his specific work with Verstappen. Tom McCullough, most recently a senior engineer with Aston Martin, has been signed as Red Bull's new head of racing and will begin work next year.
McLaren move and gardening leave
As for Lambiase, his start date with McLaren remains up in the air. When it was announced, the move was described as being completed so that GP could begin his new role "no later than" the start of 2028, suggesting McLaren hoped to be able to negotiate an earlier start than allowed under the exit terms of his Red Bull contract.
As is common in F1, Lambiase will have to serve a period of gardening leave before he can begin work elsewhere. Speaking over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, McLaren chief executive Zak Brown hinted an arrangement may yet be struck as he said he was "optimistic we'll see him in papaya at some point next year."
