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Gianpiero Lambiase exit sparks Red Bull warning from Karun Chandhok
Karun Chandhok believes Red Bull must make a major signing to stop further staff departures and help rebuild after its difficult start to the 2026 season
Lydia Mee
Published: Apr 20, 2026, 11:51 AM
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok has urged Red Bull to make a "big name signing" to avoid more key personnel exits.
Four-time champion Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero (GP) Lambiase is the latest high-profile figure to announce his exit from the Milton Keynes outfit, with the Briton moving to McLaren as chief racing officer by 2028.
While discussing the recent changes at Red Bull during the Sky Sports F1 Show, Chandhok argued that the Laurent Mekies-led team needs to make a high-profile signing to avoid further staff leaving with Lambiase and to also attract more people to join from other teams.
"Right now, you want to attract people from Mercedes. They're the ones winning," the former driver said after Mercedes dominated the first three rounds of the 2026 season.
"You're going to try and rebuild, and 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 their engineering office and saying, 'Hey, you know what guys, this place down at Woking, this is a really nice place to work. How do you fancy coming down here?'
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Clive Mason / Getty Images
"And all of a sudden, how long before that core group starts to break up? We've seen it. We've seen it so many times. Adrian Newey went from team to team to team and dragged their people. Ross Brawn did the same.
"That's something Red Bull really needs to be worried about. They need a big name signing, not just for the skill set that that person can bring, but the people that they will attract."
In addition to personnel changes at Red Bull, the team has also had a difficult start to the 2026 season. After the first three rounds, it sits sixth in the constructors' standings with 16 points.
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