Van der Garde believes his compatriot will leave Red Bull before his engineer, GianPiero Lambiase, who has signed for McLaren for 2028.

Giedo Van der Garde (Netherlands, 1985), who was a Caterham F1 driver in 2013, does give credit to an abrupt departure of his compatriot, Max Verstappen, as has already been published this year and according to his repeated statements. "If I don't have fun, it's possible that I will go somewhere else where I do," the four-time champion has said on several occasions since the preseason.

In his column in the magazine 'Formula1.nl', Van der Garde assesses the departure of his track engineer and trusted man, GianPiero Lambiase, confirmed last week "First of all, it is a magnificent opportunity for him. If you can become a team principal in an elite team like McLaren, you must make the most of it. He deserves it from the bottom of his heart, not only for me, but also for the Verstappens. Lambiase has always been very loyal to Max and together they lived a fantastic time, culminating in four titles," he says of his track engineer's departure, when this season and next season passes.

"Despite knowing that the Italian coach is leaving for a direct competitor, I think he will be able to continue in his current role until the last day. He is a valuable asset for the team and for Max. If Red Bull are smart, they will keep that collaboration intact for as long as possible," predicts the former driver about the atmosphere within the Milton Keynes team.

And he continues on the future of the champion between 2021 and 2024. "Then comes the million-dollar question: who will be the first to leave Red Bull, Lambiase or Verstappen? I bet on Max. It's simple: Red Bull is not clear about things and Max just wants to be in a car with which he can win races and titles. I think he'll take a step forward after this season." (Marca, 2026-04-22)