Guenther Steiner: Gianpiero Lambiase left Red Bull while his value was high

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has offered a sharp assessment of Gianpiero Lambiase’s impending departure from Red Bull, suggesting the highly regarded race engineer made the right call to leave while his market value remains at its peak.

Striking While the Iron is Hot

Speaking on The Red Flags podcast, Steiner provided a pragmatic view of the high-stakes personnel market in Formula 1. The 61-year-old argued that waiting too long during a potential team decline could have severely limited Lambiase’s future options.

"And they say, hey, in the moment we are still doing good. Now is the opportunity to go somewhere else which will be, which seems to be doing good for the future. Let’s go there when my value is high. When I can ask money, when I can ask position. If I stay with Red Bull and they keep on declining, in two years, maybe nobody wants me, and I’m forced to stay here."

Steiner’s comments highlight the ruthless nature of career progression in the sport, where timing is often as critical as technical expertise. The dynamic between a driver and their engineer is crucial, as highlighted by David Coulthard on the critical bond between driver and race engineer.

The cyclical nature of F1 dominance

Lambiase’s exit is part of a broader trend of key figures leaving Red Bull, a pattern Steiner views as a natural consequence of the sport's cyclical nature.

"The opportunities come along when you are successful, not when you are not successful, you know," Steiner added. "So, I think it’s just happening all the time, and Red Bull will go back and restructure themselves again. They will start to poach from other teams again and build themselves up again."

Steiner pointed to the domino effect that began last year, noting that when major figures like Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley, and Christian Horner are involved in significant shifts, others inevitably follow suit. The paddock reaction has been notable, with figures like Laurent Mekies calling Lambiase joining McLaren an extraordinary opportunity.

McLaren shuts down Stella exit rumours

In the wake of the Lambiase announcement, speculation briefly flared regarding the future of current McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. Rumours suggested Lambiase might be positioned as a replacement for Stella, with the Italian being linked to a potential return to Ferrari.

However, McLaren CEO Zak Brown was quick to extinguish the speculation during a recent interview with Sky Sports.

"Can I confirm that’s total nonsense? I can confirm that’s total nonsense," Brown stated emphatically. "A team or two stirring it to… a great part of our sport is everyone likes to maybe destabilise teams, but that doesn’t work here."

Brown reaffirmed the team's unwavering support for their current leadership structure, making it clear that Stella was the driving force behind the new acquisition. "Andrea is very committed to McLaren. We’re very committed to McLaren, to Andrea. Couldn’t be happier. Andrea, at the end of the day, is the one who hired GP."