Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, has mirrored on the Dutchman’s sensational drive to victory within the São Paulo Grand Prix final season.
The Purple Bull driver stormed by the sphere, after beginning down the order because of a contentious early elimination from the second a part of qualifying, to comfortably win in horrendous situations at Interlagos.
It was voted Second of the 12 months on the current Autosport Awards, the place Lambiase, referred to as ‘GP’, picked up his driver’s trophy.
In qualifying, the delay in upgrading a Lance Stroll-induced yellow flag to purple allowed these combating for a spot within the closing part of the session to enhance their instances, earlier than finally being ended while Verstappen was on a push lap which noticed him knocked out.
The 44-year-old recalled how “aggrieved” the four-time F1 drivers’ champion had been by his Q2 exit and the circumstances surrounding it, in addition to sharing his delight in Verstappen for the astonishing restoration drive – one which ended a 10-grand prix winless drought.
“This race got here at a time of the 12 months once we had been having to work extraordinarily arduous for all the things we may handle come the chequered flag,” he mentioned as he accepted the award.
“Max hadn’t received for the reason that Spanish Grand Prix, and to say Max was barely aggrieved with the result of qualifying on Sunday morning is an understatement.
“After which for him to drag out a drive comparable to that, beneath such scrutiny [and] stress, with a championship at stake, was actually fairly outstanding, so yeah, I am very pleased with him for that.”
Verstappen and Lambiase’s ‘very pure friendship’
While that second proved pivotal in placing Verstappen excessive as he clutched onto management of the drivers’ championship battle with Lando Norris, a lot has been made from the connection between him and Lambiase over the 12 months.
The 63-time grand prix winner taking to workforce radio in a way some would possibly interpret as aggressive is nothing new, but it surely instigated appreciable backlash for Verstappen over the weekend of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While not essentially directed at Lambiase himself, many inside F1 – and out of doors the paddock – had been unimpressed along with his conduct.
Nevertheless, his race engineer, who is thought to counter Verstappen as a part of a sturdy and wholesome back-and-forth, insists it’s all a part of the “bond” between them.
“It needs to be a really pure friendship, bond, between an engineer and a driver,” Lambiase defined.
“I feel Max and I’ve that. And hopefully, persons are happy to see the fruits of that.”
