With the announcement that Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull after 2027, one of the longest and most successful collaborations between a driver and his race engineer comes to an end. Lambiase has worked with Max Verstappen since his debut at Red Bull, and was thus present for all four of the Dutchman’s world titles. But which duo worked together just a bit longer than the Dutch driver and the British-Italian engineer?
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Max Verstappen and his regular race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase are currently the longest-serving active driver and race engineer duo, but that is set to end next season. Lambiase is leaving for McLaren after 2027, and it remains to be seen what the four-time world champion will do then. The era of Verstappen and Lambiase at Red Bull is coming to an end anyway; one of the most successful collaborations between a driver and his race engineer.
Although many collaborations between drivers and race engineers do not last longer than five years on average, there are exceptions. We list four of the longest-serving duos in modern Formula 1 for you.
Lewis Hamilton and Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington
Not only was the collaboration between Lewis Hamilton and engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington the longest-running in modern Formula 1, but also the most successful. In 2013, Hamilton began his first season at Mercedes, and simultaneously his collaboration with Bonnington. The Briton won six world titles and 84 Grands Prix at the Silver Arrows with ‘Bono’ on the pit wall. In 2023, Hamilton announced his departure to Ferrari, while Bonnington remained at Mercedes. Nowadays, the British engineer works with Hamilton’s successor at the Silver Arrows: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton worked with engineer Riccardo Adami at Ferrari in his debut season, but that did not always go smoothly.
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Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase
Ever since Max Verstappen’s debut at Red Bull in 2016, Gianpiero Lambiase has been the constant for the Dutchman on the pit wall. The British-Italian engineer was already there during Verstappen’s very first Grand Prix victory at the 2016 Spanish GP, and was responsible for the now well-known shout over the team radio when the driver became world champion for the first time in 2021. In total, Verstappen won four world titles and 71 Grands Prix with Lambiase on the pit wall.
Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley
From 2006 to 2013, Felipe Massa and engineer Rob Smedley worked together at Ferrari. The duo accounted for eleven wins for Massa, and nearly the world title. Until the final lap, the Brazilian driver was still on course for the title during the 2008 Brazilian GP. Massa crosses the finish line first, shouting, until his engineer Smedley says: ‘Stay calm, I need to check where Hamilton is’. The later seven-time world champion overtook Timo Glock in the penultimate corner and finished the decisive Grand Prix in fifth. It was enough for Hamilton’s first world title. In the years that followed, Massa did not win another Grand Prix, and the collaboration with Smedley at Ferrari came to an end in 2013. Smedley did follow Massa to Williams, but was not his race engineer there.
Lando Norris and Will Joseph
Just like Verstappen and Lambiase, the collaboration between Lando Norris and his race engineer Will Joseph continues to this day. The two started their collaboration when Norris made his debut at McLaren in 2019. Joseph was therefore also on the pit wall when the Briton took his first victory at the 2024 Miami GP and settled the nickname ‘Lando No Wins’, and when he took his very first world title at the last Abu Dhabi GP.
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