Max Verstappen has had stunning success since winning his maiden race on debut for Red Bull. He has gone from strength to strength since then and has accrued 10 race wins. One man who has been right by his side in all 10 of his victories has been his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. So, it’s no surprise that Verstappen has only positive things to say about him.

The relationship between a race engineer and a driver is one of the most sacred within motorsports. It requires a certain degree of trust on both sides. The driver should be able to trust that the engineer has his best interests in mind when he devises a race strategy and the engineer should have confidence in the driver to execute the strategy to the tee. The tandem between the Dutchman and Lambiase shows this precise symbiotic relationship.

Max Verstappen praises Lambiase

In an interview (translated via Google), Verstappen had a lot of praise to give for Lambiase. He said, “We are in contact a lot and the relationship has grown over the years. We get on really well and we know exactly what we want from each other, which way we want to go. GP (Lambiase) is very passionate, driven and wants to win. I think that is very important.

“You not only have to be driven to want to be in Formula 1. You also have to like being here.”

Verstappen’s father, Jos also echoes the same sentiments as his son. He said, “Gianpiero is very driven. He is working 24 hours a day. You have to have that mentality, otherwise, Max will ask it of you. He pushes his engineer in that sense, especially when he is on the track.

“Then he demands from everyone the way he races: one hundred percent dedication.”

How will the Dutchman come back from the Bahrain disappointment?

Max Verstappen should not be very disappointed with the fact that he was unable to come away from Bahrain with a victory. He was thwarted on the day by some ingenuity on the part of Mercedes and some otherworldly driving from Lewis Hamilton.

While it is unlikely that the Silver Arrows will be able to replicate that, the Austrian team should look to capitalize on their strengths at the next two tracks at Imola and Portimao. These two tracks are not the most suitable of tracks for Mercedes and should work to Red Bull‘s advantage.

However, if Verstappen fails to win those two races, it could very quickly see their season failing and another Hamilton procession could be on the cards.

Read More – Who Is Max Verstappen’s Father Jos – the Man Behind One of F1’s Greatest Superstars