Red Bull praise Verstappen's new race engineer after debut outing

Pulse Sports Team 13:13 - 28 October 2026

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has praised Tom Hart for his performance on his debut as Max Verstappen's race engineer at last weekend's United States Grand Prix.

Hart is set to become Verstappen's permanent race engineer from the start of the 2027 season, succeeding Gianpiero Lambiase, who is departing for McLaren. The handover began in Austin, with Hart scheduled to take the reins for two more rounds this year—in São Paulo and Las Vegas—while Lambiase will return to the pit wall for Mexico City, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.

"I think he did an excellent job. You can see me smiling because I remember very well what it's like to do your first race as a race engineer, and he had a pretty tricky race for his debut. Of course, that wasn't his choice, but jokes aside, I really think he did brilliantly," Mekies said.

"Right from his first qualifying session and first race, he relayed the feedback and guidance from the engineering crews behind the scenes to Max exceptionally well. Obviously, it was a complex race and we might be slightly disappointed with third place, which is actually a positive sign. But I genuinely believe he did a fantastic job, backed by great support from GP, who was helping him in the background.

"You can't build that kind of working relationship overnight, but I'm completely confident he will grow into the role and develop the necessary chemistry with Max. Our plan is for Tom and GP to alternate until the end of the year. That decision comes down to a mix of factors, including running young drivers in FP1 and other logistical considerations. It's all part of the plan."