Gianpiero Lambiase’s expected move to McLaren in 2028 has already caused quite a stir, and Karun Chandhok believes it’s just the latest reason for concern inside Red Bull.
Lambiase is just one of several high-profile departures from Red Bull over the past two years, with many linking those exits to the team’s recent drop in form on track.
Christian Horner’s departure was the most visible change at the top, but it followed earlier losses of key behind-the-scenes figures like Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley.
Red Bull need to be more ‘worried’ about Gianpiero Lambiase exit
Speaking on The F1 Show podcast, former driver Karun Chandhok spoke with David Croft and Simon Lazenby about the problems Red Bull could face after Lambiase’s departure.
Chandhok also pointed out that the Austrian team could lose even more key staff once the British engineer makes his move to Woking, as there’s a chance Lambiase might try to bring some of his former colleagues over from Milton Keynes.
Reflecting on how things have changed at Red Bull since Christian Horner left, Chandhok added:
“There’s a big job there for Laurent Mekies and the ownership from Red Bull Austria to figure out how they’re going to stop this, and how they make themselves attractive.
“Right now, you want to attract the people from Mercedes; they’re the ones winning. I think one of the things that they’ve got to be worried about is that good people attract other good people.
“How long before GP starts calling the other 20 people who are sitting in that engineering office and saying, ‘Hey, you know what? This place down at Woking, this is a really nice place to work. How do you fancy coming down here?’
“All of a sudden, how long before that core group starts to break up? And we’ve seen it so many times that Adrian Newey went from team to team to team and dragged good people. Ross Brawn did the same.
“I think that’s something Red Bull really need to be worried about, this thing of they need a big name signing, not just for the skill set that that person can bring but for the people that they will attract.”
David Croft says Red Bull need a big name signing ahead of Gianpiero Lambiase’s exit
Speaking on the same show, David Croft backed Chandhok’s view and said that Mekies has a huge job on his hands rebuilding the team.
Croft also mentioned whether decisions are now being made by Red Bull Racing’s parent company in Austria rather than at the factory. He stated, “It’s not people deserting a sinking ship, but it’s people thinking that their success in their careers can lie elsewhere outside of Milton Keynes.
“For many, many years, that was never the case. People were loyal to Red Bull, loyal to Christian Horner, and loyal to the overall game of winning championships.
“Red Bull have not always been the most successful team on the grid. It’s peaks and troughs. And at the moment, they’re heading towards a bit of a trough and need to recruit. They could do with a big name signing, but I don’t know who that will be.”
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