Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and driver Max Verstappen are renowned for their casual communication style, which occasionally leads to heated Red Bull radio discussions.
After his most recent, highly publicized radio altercation with Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen addressed his feelings.
After easily overcoming teammate Sergio Perez to win the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, Verstappen has already claimed three victories this season. There was one point, though, about which the Dutchman was at all worried.
He was complaining on the radio about how much understeer his car was experiencing. It was soon discovered that the driver had disregarded Lambiase’s advice prior to the race, in addition to the fact that it was a setup issue.
“Well, perhaps a click or two less is fine,” Verstappen said on the radio. Lambiase responded dryly to that, saying, “I won’t say I told you so, but understood.” I’m grateful.
It was the most recent in an increasing series of radio conversations between them that, despite their apparent tension, are the result of a fruitful collaboration. After the race, Verstappen told reporters, laughing about it, saying, “We had a conversation, not a fight, but he asked, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?'” Although I was fairly certain, it proved to be incorrect!
“However, he was accurate. It kind of excites me too because I think to myself, “Even though I’m not totally satisfied with the balance right now, I’ll still try to be as consistent as I can be without yelling at him.” Our relationship is fantastic and functions well together that way.”
Since Verstappen joined the team as a teenager in 2016, the Dutchman and Lambiase have collaborated. Team principal Christian Horner has previously compared them to “an old married couple,” a comparison that adviser Helmut Marko reiterated when discussing the team following the Suzuka race.
The 80-year-old stated: “We had a lengthy conversation earlier regarding the number of clicks on the front wing that needed to be changed. Gianpiero was pleased that Max persisted and that, in the end, he was correct.
“Max, his race engineer, and the data engineer all have a great deal of experience. They are aware of Max’s preferences and know what to do. We only needed to make a minor adjustment following the first stint, so during the first stop, but overall it was the right choice.”
Lambiase made a suggestion last month that, should Verstappen decide to leave Red Bull, he would follow. He said, “I don’t think I would have any interest in working with another driver now. Maybe I am speaking out of turn.”
