Max Verstappen will be without his long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase at the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, marking a rare change in his trusted Red Bull team setup.
Lambiase, who has worked alongside Verstappen since his Red Bull debut in 2016, will miss this weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring due to personal reasons, the team confirmed to Autosport.
Stepping in to support the Dutchman is Simon Rennie, who will take over race engineer duties for the weekend.
The Englishman, currently Red Bull’s Group Leader of Simulation Engineering, will also temporarily cover Lambiase’s broader responsibilities as Head of Racing in Austria.
In recent years, the 44-year-old has moved into a broader trackside leadership role that extends beyond Verstappen’s garage, following several internal promotions.
But the four-time World Champion will have to manage without him at the team’s home circuit, with Rennie stepping up and bringing a new voice to Verstappen’s famously punchy team radio exchanges.
Red Bull anticipates Lambiase will be back for next weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
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