Has Max Verstappen sealed his Red Bull fate with Gianpiero Lambiase leaving?

Gianpiero Lambiase's departure to McLaren, which is expected to be no later than 2028, represents another seismic blow to Red Bull's crumbling infrastructure.

It also, crucially for the six-time F1 constructors' champions, raises fresh questions about Max Verstappen's long-term commitment to the team.

The Dutchman's race engineer since 2016, Lambiase will join McLaren as chief racing officer when his contract expires.

His exit completes a devastating trilogy of defections to Woking, following Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, whilst Red Bull has haemorrhaged Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, with former team principal Christian Horner also fired last year.

Verstappen famously declared in 2021 that he would only work with Lambiase, stating he would stop racing if his engineer departed. Whilst father Jos Verstappen suggests "things have changed" since those comments, the timing is ominous.

The four-time champion languishes ninth in the standings after three rounds, having failed to reach the podium with an underperforming RB22.

Verstappen's contract runs until 2028, yet an exit clause could be triggered if he is not in the top two of the drivers' standings by the summer break, something that looks very unlikely.

With McLaren strengthened by Red Bull's former strategic brain trust and Ferrari reportedly monitoring his situation, and the long-standing links to Mercedes, Verstappen's future appears increasingly uncertain as the Milton Keynes outfit continues its alarming decline.

But is Gianpiero Lambiase leaving Red Bull the final nail in the coffin for Max Verstappen? Let us know by voting below in the latest poll by RacingNews365!