Max Verstappen’s Race Engineer Replacement for Austrian GP
Red Bull Racing has announced a temporary change in Max Verstappen’s pit strategy team for the Austrian Grand Prix, with Simon Rennie stepping in for Gianpiero Lambiase, who is absent due to personal reasons. Rennie, who has been associated with Red Bull since 2013, previously served as a race engineer for Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo.
Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, expressed confidence in Rennie’s capabilities, stating, “He is as sharp as he was in his old days.” Marko noted that Rennie has maintained his performance through ongoing simulator work, and he affirmed, “It’s a very direct relationship, and it’s working very well so far.”
Verstappen, who has collaborated with Lambiase throughout his four championship wins, is optimistic about Rennie’s involvement. “I’ve known Simon for a long time on the other side of the garage,” said Verstappen. “It’s been very, very good today.”
During the initial practice sessions, Verstappen finished second in FP1, just 0.065 seconds behind Mercedes’ George Russell, and placed third in FP2, trailing behind the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Red Bull has confirmed that Lambiase is expected to return for the British Grand Prix next week.
