Max Verstappen will have a different race engineer supporting him at the 2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix as Simon Rennie takes over from Gianpiero Lambiase, who is absent for personal reasons. This change marks the second race missed by Lambiase this season, with his status for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix yet to be confirmed.
Simon Rennie Returns to the Pit Wall for Verstappen
Simon Rennie, a veteran Red Bull employee with extensive Formula 1 experience, will fill in for Gianpiero Lambiase during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. Rennie also covered for Lambiase at the recent Austrian Grand Prix, marking his return to trackside duties after several seasons focused on simulator work at Milton Keynes. At 45 years old, Rennie brings over 20 years of engineering expertise, having worked with numerous top drivers in the sport.
Rennie’s Extensive Formula 1 Engineering Career
Rennie began his Formula 1 career in 2004 with Renault as a data engineer for Fernando Alonso, contributing to the Spaniard’s consecutive world championships. Over the following years, Rennie climbed the ranks within the Renault team based in Enstone, eventually becoming Alonso’s race engineer. He also collaborated with drivers like Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld and spent a year engineering Kimi Räikkönen when Renault became Lotus in 2012.
In 2013, Rennie joined Red Bull Racing, initially working with Mark Webber before developing a strong engineering partnership with Daniel Ricciardo during his peak years in Formula 1. In 2019, Rennie transitioned away from trackside responsibilities to lead Red Bull’s simulator program, reducing his travel commitments. During his time away from race engineering, Ricciardo indicated that Rennie’s departure influenced his own decision to leave Red Bull.
Since stepping back from the pit wall, Rennie has contributed behind the scenes at Milton Keynes, supporting driver development and simulator work. He briefly returned trackside in 2020 to assist Alex Albon’s promotion to Red Bull’s senior team and more recently helped Ricciardo regain performance after his return to the Red Bull driver family via AlphaTauri.
Gianpiero Lambiase’s Influence and Absence
Gianpiero Lambiase, known in Formula 1 as ‘GP,’ has been instrumental in Max Verstappen’s success, serving as his race engineer since Verstappen’s promotion from Toro Rosso in 2016. Under Lambiase’s technical guidance, Verstappen secured four world championships and 65 Grand Prix victories. The Belgian Grand Prix is the second race Lambiase has missed this year due to personal reasons, following his absence in Austria, which was the first since 2016.
There is currently no official confirmation on whether Lambiase will return for the next Grand Prix in Hungary, leaving Rennie to remain in the race engineer role for the time being.
Implications of the Change for Verstappen’s Team
The substitution of Simon Rennie as Max Verstappen’s race engineer highlights the depth and adaptability of Red Bull’s technical staff. Rennie’s vast experience with multiple drivers and his familiarity with the team’s operations provide continuity during Lambiase’s absence. How this change affects Verstappen’s performance at Spa remains to be seen, but Rennie’s history of working with top drivers suggests a smooth transition.
The situation underscores the critical role race engineers play in Formula 1, not only in delivering strategic and technical advice but also in fostering driver confidence and performance consistency across a season.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Did Max Verstappen apologize?
A. Christian Horner shared that Max Verstappen said sorry to the Red Bull team after crashing into George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix. This incident caused Verstappen to fall from 5th to 10th place because of a 10-second penalty.
Q. What is Max Verstappen’s baby gender?
A. On May 2, Verstappen, who is 27 years old, shared two pictures of his newborn daughter on Instagram and announced her name, Lily. In the caption, he welcomed her by saying, “Welcome to the world, sweet Lily.”
Q. Did Max Verstappen have a baby?
A. MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Max Verstappen, who has won the Formula 1 world championship four times in a row, reached the Miami Grand Prix on Friday. He was there as a new dad, announcing the birth of his daughter with Kelly Piquet. They shared on Instagram, “Welcome to the world, sweet Lily.”
Q. Who is Max Verstappen’s baby daughter?
A. Max Verstappen is now a father! The 27-year-old Formula One racer and his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, shared the happy news on Instagram that they had their first child, a daughter named Lily.