"This is the 2nd time this season": Fans react as Max Verstappen's key ally misses the F1 Belgian GP

Max Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, was not available to assist the driver at the Belgian Grand Prix due to personal reasons. F1 fans have reacted to this news, with many hoping all is well in the Briton's personal life.

Dutch journalist Erik van Haren has announced that Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer will miss out on the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. He was also absent from the Red Bull pit wall at the Austrian Grand Prix.

"Just like in Austria, Gianpiero Lambiase will be absent this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps due to personal circumstances. Simon Rennie will replace him again as Max Verstappen's race engineer," wrote Van Haren.

F1 fans online have shared their reaction to the news, with many wondering what the "personal reasons" were behind Lambiase's absence yet again.

"This is the 2nd time this season…," stated one fan.

"Hope all is well with GP, absolute class act," said another user.

"Hope everything is okay with GP," said yet another fan.

Here are some additional reactions:

"We heard this guy is available if you're looking 🛠️," joked one user.

"$10 he won’t be Max’s race engineer moving forward. Bet he picked Horner’s side and had enough," suspected another fan.

"Let's just DNS cuz what's the point of all this suffering?" joked another fan.

When Lambiase missed out on the Austrian GP weekend, Max Verstappen ended up crashing out of the race on the first lap. Van Haren has also reported that it is unknown whether the Dutchman's ally will return for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix either.

Simon Rennie, who replaced Lambiase in Austria, will step in as Verstappen's engineer at Spa. The Briton has previously worked as Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon's race engineer at Red Bull.

Max Verstappen claims his future does not depend on Christian Horner's exit

Max Verstappen ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen has claimed that he was only focused on improving Red Bull's pace at the moment, and Christian Horner's sacking did not impact his decision on his future.

Speaking for the first time after Horner's exit, the 4x world champion has claimed that the change in management in the Austrian team will not have an impact on his F1 future.

"I don't think it will matter at all for my decision in the future," said Verstappen, via The BBC.

"The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can make it, really," he added.

While speaking to the media ahead of the Belgian GP, Verstappen also admitted that the past 12 months have not been to his liking. However, the 27-year-old claimed that he was focused on making improvements to the car this year, and return to the top amid new regulations from 2026 onwards.

About the author

Samyak Sharma is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda, covering Formula One and IndyCar. A graduate in Mass Media and Journalism, he aims to transform his lifelong passion for playing and following sports into a thriving career in sports journalism. He believes that sports naturally deliver the most compelling stories, needing no script to captivate the world.

Samyak is dedicated to providing detailed and insightful coverage, keeping an eye on all developments on and off the track to ensure timely and accurate reporting. He closely follows Max Verstappen, inspired by the Dutchman's ability to balance precision and aggression on the track.

Samyak envisions the continued growth of motorsports globally and hopes to see Formula One return to the V8 engines while still continuing to be sustainable. As for IndyCar, he envisions greater international exposure to rival the global reach of F1.

Outside the world of motorsports, Samyak immerses himself in his love for football and cricket, passionately cheering for his favorite team, Manchester United. He also enjoys catching the occasional tennis match, broadening his appreciation for sports.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam