Max Verstappen’s long-serving Chief Mechanic Lee Stevenson has announced that he has now departed Red Bull’s Formula 1 team following the Australian Grand Prix.
Stevenson had become a prominent face within the Red Bull garage as Verstappen has continued to accumulate victories since F1’s return to ground effect cars in 2022.
The Briton had been working alongside the Dutchman since his promotion to the senior Red Bull squad at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, where Verstappen won on debut.
Verstappen’s recent dominance has seen him rise to third on the all-time wins list with 56 appearances on the top step of the podium, along with three successive titles.
However, Stevenson has revealed on Instagram that the curtain had now come down on his Red Bull stint as he would be moving to a team “at the other end of the pit lane.”
“2006 – 2024. @redbullracing it’s been an amazing ride, thank you so much,” Stevenson’s post read.
“It’s been an incredible journey and one that I’m very proud of. What we’ve achieved has been monumental and something I would never of fathomed in 2006.
“This is the end of part A, part B of my life starts on Monday. Thank you all once again #keepushing 💚🖤”
Stevenson’s most starring moment with Red Bull came at the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix when Verstappen’s crew repaired his suspension on the grid in 20 minutes.
Verstappen had crashed en route to the grid at a wet Hungaroring and his participation had been in doubt, but the work from the team enabled him to race to second.
The departure is the latest member Red Bull has lost, with Rob Marshall ending a 17-year period with the reigning champions to take up a senior position at McLaren.
