Max’s New Race Engineer
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase on the grid before the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix
Red Bull sent Gianpiero Lambiase to the Singapore podium on behalf of the team because, soon, this familiar sight may no longer be possible.
Not because Max and GP are done winning races in 2026, but because Lambiase is due to begin gardening leave before joining McLaren.
His successor, Tom Hart, will work with Max Verstappen in Austin, Brazil and Las Vegas.
Max and GP won their very first race together at Barcelona in 2016, during Verstappen’s Red Bull debut.
73 wins later — and counting — their chemistry speaks for itself.
Their communication is almost military in its efficiency: no sugarcoating, no wishy-washy exchanges, no word salads. Just short, clear and decisive instructions.
That kind of partnership takes years to build.
So it will be fascinating to see how quickly Max and Tom Hart gel — and whether they can develop the same understanding that made Verstappen and Lambiase such a formidable combination.
Let’s see. 🏎️
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Is Kimi Champion Already?
F1 is a global business. We shouldn’t be surprised by its corporate approach to management. We don’t have to like it, but understanding it helps explain some otherwise very strange decisions.
The geopolitical situation in the Middle East remains uncertain, yet F1 is preparing for the upcoming races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi as if everything were business as usual.
Are we missing something?
Money.
Officially, there is no martial law, no blanket ban on major sporting events and no general shutdown of air travel. But does that automatically make it sensible to hold races close to areas of military activity? Of course not.
So why maintain the appearance of normality?
Because behind every Grand Prix are contracts involving local authorities, promoters, F1, sponsors and commercial partners. If a race is cancelled, whoever is deemed contractually responsible could face substantial financial claims.
That makes the question of cancellation much more complicated than simply deciding whether it is safe to race.
Now, what happens if no replacement race is added?
With only four Grands Prix remaining, all non-Sprint weekends, a maximum of 100 points would be available. If Kimi Antonelli’s advantage over George Russell remains at 102 points, the maths is simple: Russell can no longer catch him.
Kimi would already be World Champion.
Of course, the final calendar decision matters. But if the remaining schedule leaves no mathematical route for Russell to catch him, the championship is settled regardless of whether the title has been officially confirmed.
This is a special moment for Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes and F1. Let’s hope we all get the proper on-track celebration such an achievement deserves. 🏆🏎️
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Why Will Câmara Race with Number 50 in F1?
Rafa Câmara’s favourite number is 5 — most probably because he was born on 5 May 2005!
Unfortunately, number 5 is already taken by fellow Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, while Carlos Sainz has long made number 55 his own.
That left Rafa with two obvious alternatives: 15 or 50.
According to unconfirmed reports, Rafa initially considered 15. But with Ferrari’s golden boy, Charles Leclerc, racing with number 16, perhaps it was better to go with 50 instead. 😏🏎️
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That’s a chequered flag 🏁 for today.
Tomorrow, best. 🏎️