Tom Hart has begun taking over the radio duties beside Max Verstappen. With Gianpiero Lambiase helping guide the handover, Red Bull is working on something Max knows is difficult to replace: the understanding between a driver and his engineer.
Max Verstappen knows what makes his partnership with Gianpiero Lambiase difficult to replace. After working together since 2016, they have developed an understanding that the four-time world champion considers rare in racing.
Now Red Bull has begun building the partnership that will follow it.
Tom Hart handled his first full weekend as Verstappen’s race engineer at the United States Grand Prix, with Lambiase supporting him in the background. Austin brought radio problems and a third-place finish, but team principal Laurent Mekies was encouraged by Hart’s work.
It was an important step in a transition that reaches beyond who speaks to Max during a race.
Hart already knows the driver
Hart comes into the role with experience working alongside Verstappen as his performance engineer. He already knows the driver and the people around him.
Becoming his race engineer changes the responsibility. The job involves bringing together the work of the wider engineering team and giving the driver clear, useful information while the session unfolds.
That communication has to work when plans change, problems emerge and there is little time for discussion. Knowing the car matters. So does understanding how to get the message across to the person driving it.
Austin gave Hart and Verstappen their first full race weekend to develop that working rhythm, with GP still there to help.
A difficult weekend, an encouraging assessment
Technical radio problems complicated their first outing, but Mekies praised how Hart communicated the engineering team’s work to Verstappen through qualifying and the race.
He also emphasized that developing the relationship takes time.
“You cannot recreate a relationship in no time,” Mekies said afterward.
Red Bull will continue alternating Hart and Lambiase through the remaining races. Mekies explained that the rotation is part of the team’s plan, giving Hart further experience as the handover progresses.
That gradual approach allows the new partnership to develop with support from the engineer who knows Verstappen’s working habits so well.
The understanding Max wants to find again
Lambiase’s next move is already confirmed. McLaren announced in April that he will join as Chief Racing Officer when his existing contract ends, no later than 2028. The transfer of his radio responsibilities is happening in stages ahead of that departure.
Verstappen has supported the opportunity for his longtime colleague. Speaking in April, he said he was happy for Lambiase and explained why he would not try to hold him back.
He was equally clear about what they had built together.
“The general understanding that we have with each other and the chemistry works really well,” Verstappen said.
Their partnership has spanned four drivers’ championships. Replacing that familiarity means developing a relationship in which both people understand what the other needs, particularly when a weekend becomes difficult.
Hart brings an existing connection with Verstappen and experience inside his engineering team. The remaining races give them an opportunity to build on that foundation in their new roles.
With Lambiase helping from inside the garage, Red Bull can pass on that experience while Verstappen’s next partnership takes shape.
