MAX VERSTAPPEN JOKES ABOUT CODED MESSAGES AS RED BULL PLANS FIRST RACES FOR GIANPIERO LAMBIASE’S SUCCESSOR

Verstappen finally conquered Singapore in 2026, sweeping the sprint weekend with two poles and two wins on Red Bull's longtime Achilles' heel. The victories came messy—starting issues resurfaced, different from recent weekends, emerging before he even dropped the clutch. Worse, radio failures mid-race left him unable to transmit, forcing race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase into coded communication: stay silent to pit under safety car, press the button to hold track position. Red Bull sent Lambiase to the podium afterward, a farewell gesture before his McLaren move.

Tom Hart takes over for Austin, Brazil, and Las Vegas—three races to build chemistry with Verstappen before a likely full-time handover in 2027. Hart was headed to Williams as Albon's race engineer until Verstappen flagged him internally and Red Bull reversed the deal. The stateside rounds in Austin and Vegas give American fans their first extended look at the partnership that'll anchor Red Bull's title defense next year.