Speculation surrounding Gianpiero Lambiase’s future has returned after several months of relative calm, with new reports outlining a potential long-term move away from Red Bull.

At the end of last year, Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, was strongly linked with a switch to Aston Martin, where he could have reunited with Adrian Newey. Those rumours faded in early January, with indications that the Italian would stay in Milton Keynes.

However, the topic has now been revived. Dutch outlet De Limburger, with journalist Jacky Martens, reported on renewed movement around Lambiase’s future. Shortly after, De Telegraaf journalist Erik van Haren, who is well connected within Red Bull and Verstappen’s camp, supported the claim, with additional sources also pointing in the same direction. Similar information has also been mentioned by Autosport.

Despite the renewed speculation, Lambiase is not expected to leave Red Bull in the near term. He remains under contract until the end of next year and continues to combine his role as Verstappen’s race engineer with responsibilities within the team’s race operations structure.

Looking further ahead, a different destination appears more likely.

According to van Haren, Lambiase is expected to join McLaren from 2028. The move would align with a broader long-term structure at the Woking-based team and could be linked to uncertainty around the future of team principal Andrea Stella.

While Stella currently holds a strong position within McLaren, there has been ongoing paddock talk about a possible return to Ferrari, where he previously worked. His background includes roles as race engineer to Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen, adding further weight to such speculation.

For Lambiase, a move to McLaren would not represent a step into the unknown. The team has already recruited several key figures from Red Bull in recent years, including chief designer Rob Marshall and head of strategy Will Courtenay.

The timing of these reports is also notable given the broader uncertainty around Verstappen’s own future. The Dutch driver has repeatedly avoided firm commitments beyond the short term and has not ruled out stepping away from Formula 1 earlier than expected.