Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has reacted to the departure of Gianpiero Lambiase from the team.
The Milton Keynes-based squad confirmed on Thursday that the Briton will leave the team in 2028, over one decade working as Max Verstappen's race engineer.
Soon after Red Bull's confirmation, McLaren announced it had signed the 45-year-old as its chief racing engineer, reporting to team principal Andrea Stella.
Marko, who was also a key figure in Verstappen's inner circle until the end of 2025, has insisted it will be a major loss for the Dutchman.
“That’s a significant loss,” Marko told the APA.
“The two of them were like an old married couple. They had their arguments and disagreements too.”
Verstappen and Lambiase formed one of the most successful driver-engineer partnerships in F1 history, winning four titles and over 70 grands prix together.
But Marko insisted Lambiase's influence went far beyond navigating Verstappen's on-track activities during race weekends.
“The team is large,” Marko added.
“'GP' was a key figure in car development and set-up, who also went his own way – not always in agreement with the rest of the technical crew.”
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