For the first time since his breakthrough into Formula 1’s elite, Max Verstappen is taking on a race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps without Christian Horner and trusted race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase by his side.
Instead, Verstappen will rely on the experience of Simon Rennie to help guide him through one of the most significant races of the season for Red Bull, as the team deals with dramatic upheaval both on and off the track.
The news broke in the lead up to the Belgian Grand Prix that Lambiase, affectionately known as ‘GP’ in the paddock, would not be present due to personal circumstances.
It is only the second time since 2016, when Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull’s senior team, that Lambiase has missed a race. The absence could not come at a more delicate moment, with Red Bull reeling from the shock exit of Christian Horner as team boss, replaced by Laurent Mekies in a major mid-season shakeup.
Lambiase’s calm, measured style on the radio has become almost synonymous with Verstappen’s rise to the pinnacle of Formula 1, helping guide the Dutchman to four world championships and 65 race wins. His no-nonsense feedback and strategic nous have made him an essential pillar of Red Bull’s success.
In Austria last month, when Lambiase missed his first grand prix as Verstappen’s engineer, the reigning champion was forced to adapt quickly, though his race was cut short by a first-lap crash.
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Now, Verstappen will need to summon that same flexibility and composure in the Ardennes, with Rennie returning to the pitwall for a second time this year. Red Bull have not confirmed if Lambiase will be back for Hungary, adding an extra layer of uncertainty to Verstappen’s bid to reassert himself at the front of the championship battle.
Simon Rennie steps in as Red Bull face Spa without two key figures
Simon Rennie is no stranger to pressure, having built a formidable career in Formula 1 that spans more than two decades. After starting out at Renault and contributing to Fernando Alonso’s championship-winning campaigns, Rennie moved through the ranks, serving as race engineer to drivers including Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld, and Kimi Raikkonen.
He joined Red Bull in 2013, first engineering Mark Webber, then forming a strong bond with Daniel Ricciardo during the Australian’s most competitive years in the sport.
Rennie’s move to a behind-the-scenes role in Red Bull’s simulator programme in 2019 was widely seen as a loss for the team’s race day operations, and Ricciardo himself later said that Rennie’s departure was one of the factors in his decision to leave the team.
Rennie did, however, briefly return trackside to guide Alex Albon through his promotion to the senior team in 2020, and more recently worked with Ricciardo at AlphaTauri.
This weekend, he steps into the breach at Spa, tasked with supporting Verstappen during a critical phase for Red Bull. The Belgian Grand Prix is already a milestone event for the team as they return to the grid without Horner for the first time since 2005.
Verstappen, reflecting on the recent changes, said: “At the end of the day, management and of course the shareholders decided that they wanted a change and at the end of the day they run the team. And I’m the driver, so whatever they decide, it’s fully in their right to do what they want. And that’s basically how it happened.”
The Dutchman continued: “You look back at those 20 years of Red Bull, I think we’ve had a lot of great years, great results. Now, naturally of course there are also years where it’s not going that well and I think the last one and a half years have not gone how we would have liked. Management decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction probably. And then, everyone else has to anyway agree to that and look forward.”
With Lambiase missing and Mekies newly installed as team principal, Verstappen and Red Bull will be hoping the new dynamic does not disrupt their pursuit of race wins.
Verstappen added, “The last two weeks have been quite intense for [Laurent] to jump in. But I’m equally also excited for the team now moving forward, because that’s what we have to do. Looking back, it doesn’t make sense.
“It’s not going to make you faster, but at the same time you do appreciate those 20 years and especially from my side, the 10, 11 years that I’ve been part of Red Bull. Those things will always be remembered.”
Red Bull’s new era tested
The absence of both Lambiase and Horner puts Verstappen in unfamiliar territory at Spa, a circuit where he is accustomed to fierce support and high expectations.
For Red Bull, the Belgian Grand Prix is a proving ground for both the resilience of their new management structure and the depth of their engineering bench. If Verstappen and Rennie can quickly establish a rapport, Red Bull may yet weather this turbulent stretch and keep their championship ambitions alive.
Whatever happens on track this weekend, Spa marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of Verstappen’s relationship with Red Bull. With rumours still swirling about a possible move to Mercedes in 2026 and question marks over Lambiase’s return, the world will be watching to see if Verstappen can stay cool under pressure, or if this is the first sign of a new chapter in his career.
