Max Verstappen on his surprising 'marriage': We just have to determine who is the husband and who is the wife!

Max Verstappen claims his relationship with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is like a marriage. Lambiase plays a crucial part in Verstappen's success, calming the driver down whilst giving important information about the race.

GP, as Lambiase is affectionately called, has worked as a race engineer throughout the Dutchman's Red Bull (main team) F1 career and has been a fundamental factor in the 25-year-old's double title victories. The Red Bull driver has revealed in the past that he will leave the sport if his race engineer does, showing that the bond between the two is undoubtedly forged in fire. When asked if that bond is brotherly in nature in an exclusive interview with RacingNews365, however, Max Verstappen said:

"Probably more like a marriage. sometimes [we're] screaming and shouting a little bit at each other, [but] it's good. We just have to determine who is the husband and who is the wife!"

Verstappen also claims he will leave the sport if GP decides to leave. He told Ziggo Sport after winning the 2021 title:

“I told him, when he decides to quit, I’ll leave Formula 1 too. I only want to work with him. It is unbelievable how well we work together. Of course, we can be pretty strict with each other sometimes, but I want that too. He has to tell me when I’m being a jerk and I have to tell him. I always told him that.”

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Max Verstappen praised by his race engineer

Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase praised the young Dutch driver, claiming that he is really easy to work with. The pair have worked together since Max Verstappen's debut with Red Bull in 2016, winning their first race together on that very day in Spain.

GP praised Verstappen's honest and open approach to racing, claiming the world champion has the perfect mix of an analytical yet natural feel for racing. Lambiase explained in the Red Bulletin Heroes Verstappen Edition magazine:

“The relationship between a driver and a race engineer is based on mutual trust. The more direct a driver is, the more he trusts the team. My experience is that if a driver stops giving his honest opinion about the car and starts circling it, the results get worse. Max is direct, but so am I. That makes working with him very open, honest and easy.”

The engineer added:

“Some drivers want to get to the bottom of the data, while others don't want to be involved at all. And then there's Max. He explains very precisely where he can push the car to the limit and what exactly he needs to drive faster. We always know what to do because of his instructions. A driver who can communicate clearly is a great gift. He has an incredibly natural feel for racing, coupled with a good analytical mind.”

Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase are in for the long haul and will only hope to find more success as a duo. Only time will tell how far the driver and engineer pair can take it in 2023 and beyond.