Oct.27 (GMM) Gianpiero Lambiase will return as Max Verstappen’s race engineer in Mexico after Tom Hart’s first full weekend in the role in Austin.
The switch, however, is not a reaction to Verstappen’s winning streak ending with P3 in Texas, nor to several minor radio misunderstandings involving Hart.
Red Bull had already planned to alternate the two engineers as it prepares Hart to take over permanently from the McLaren-bound Lambiase.
“I really think he did an excellent job,” team boss Laurent Mekies said of Hart.
“In his first qualifying and first race, he managed the work of the team of engineers behind him well towards Max.”
Hart also had considerable support from Lambiase.
“He was very well supported in the background by GP,” Mekies added.
“You cannot create such a relationship out of nothing. But I have full confidence that he will increase the level and build that relationship with Max.”
Mekies confirmed the rotation will continue.
“It is part of our plan that we will continue to switch between Tom and GP until the end of the year,” he said.
“That has to do with a few other factors, like what we do with the drivers in the first free practice. It has nothing to do with our reviews, but this is just part of the plan.”
Hart is scheduled to return to Verstappen’s radio in Sao Paulo and Las Vegas, while Lambiase handles Mexico, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Red Bull is therefore increasingly treating the final races as a live handover ahead of Lambiase’s move to McLaren, where he has been announced as future Chief Racing Officer.