Max Verstappen's race engineer's three-word response on something nobody knows about the Dutchman

F1 Grand Prix of Qatar - Source: Getty
Gianpiero Lambiase and Max Verstappen on the podium after the 2023 F1 Qatar Grand Prix. (Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase (GP), recently talked about one detail no one knows about the Dutchman. This was after Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive drivers' title at the 2024 F1 Las Vegas GP.

After the race at Sin City, both GP and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner were interviewed by Sky Sports. In the interview, former NASCAR racer Danica Patrick asked GP for a detail no one knew about Verstappen.

To this, GP laughed and mulled over the question for a while. He then said that the Dutchman loves cats. Lambiase also revealed that Verstappen was to name his new cat GP, after his race engineer, but ended up calling it Donatello.

"What you don't know about Max...He loves cats! I'm a little bit disappointed I think he just grabbed new cat and he was saying he was going to call it GP but he has called it Donatello or something stupid like that," Lambiase joked.

Max Verstappen has worked with Gianpiero Lambiase for quite some time now. When Verstappen joined Red Bull in 2016, GP became his race engineer after working with Daniil Kvyat. Since then, they have formed an extremely close bond with each other. Their partnership during race weekends is fascinating to watch, particularly because of their openness.

The driver and the race engineer were heard arguing about details of the race on the team radio. Though F1 fans might find it toxic at times, both have agreed that their open communication allows them to clearly express themselves to one another to have better synergy.


Gianpiero Lambiase on how Max Verstappen's consistent improvement could be 'frightening for the grid'

After Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive world title, his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase praised the Dutchman for improving even in his prime.

Speaking to Viaplay, he said that even when people think Verstappen has reached his peak, the now-four-time world champion finds more performance. He added that Verstappen's consistent improvement could be daunting for other drivers who are trying to directly compete with him.

"I think the problem for the other drivers about Max is that he is a beast that just keeps on improving year on year, just when you think he's reached his peak: he takes another step. Must be frightening for the grid."

Max Verstappen has now equaled his championship tally with Alain Prost and former Red Bull star Sebastian Vettel. After the 2024 F1 Las Vegas, Verstappen now has 403 points. Meanwhile, McLaren's Lando Norris remains in second place with 340 points.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
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