Helmut Marko unveils the effectiveness of Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase's work relationship at Red Bull

Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, share the strongest working relationship on the grid. Speaking to De Telegraaf, the Red Bull senior advisor credited their seamless communication for making their collaboration effortless.

Lambiase has been Verstappen’s race engineer since 2015, and over the years, their partnership has evolved into one of the most effective in Formula 1. Having secured four world titles together, their success has only reinforced their bond. Marko described their coordination as almost scripted, emphasizing how well-suited they are to each other—a key factor in Red Bull’s continued success.

Speaking about the relationship between Lambiase and Verstappen at Red Bull, Marko said (via RacingNews365):

“They are like actors, as if they have been given a script and know exactly what to say. Max and GP are very well matched. And Max has the quality to communicate clearly on the radio, in any situation.”

---

Helmut Marko reckons Red Bull will close the gap to McLaren in five races

Helmut Marko believes Red Bull can close the gap to McLaren within the next five races. The Austrian claims tire degradation costs them around a second per lap compared to their rivals. Hoping to bridge the deficit soon, he emphasized maximizing development time to improve the RB21’s performance.

Speaking about Red Bull’s performance against rivals McLaren, Marko said (via RacingNews365)::

“It is important to maximize in this period. After eight to ten laps, we see that our tire degradation is playing and McLaren is a second faster. But we hope we've closed the gap with them over a maximum of five races.”

Red Bull secured a second-place finish with Max Verstappen, while newcomer Liam Lawson retired from the race. The team sits third in the standings with 18 points, trailing McLaren and Mercedes, who are tied at the top with 27 points each. The chaotic, rain-soaked Australian GP wasn’t the best indicator of true performance, but dry running on Friday and Saturday suggested McLaren had the upper hand.