Red Bull appoints former Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough as head of racing from 2027
Quick Look
- Red Bull has appointed former Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough as their head of racing starting in 2027, replacing Gianpiero Lambiase who is set to move to McLaren as chief racing officer by 2028.
- McCullough, a 50-year-old Briton with over a decade at Aston Martin and prior roles at Williams and Sauber, will oversee all race team operations under team principal Laurent Mekies.
- His appointment may facilitate earlier negotiations for Lambiase's release to McLaren.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Tom McCullough has over a decade of experience with Aston Martin, including its previous incarnations as Force India and Racing Point, and prior roles at Williams and Sauber. He was moved to Aston Martin's performance technologies division in January 2025 following a restructure. Gianpiero Lambiase is Max Verstappen's race engineer and known for their direct team radio communication.
Red Bull have head-hunted former Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough to become their head of racing from 2027.
The 50-year-old Briton is a replacement for Gianpiero Lambiase, who is moving to McLaren to become their chief racing officer at an unspecified time by 2028.
Red Bull said in a statement that they "looked forward to the wealth of experience and expertise he will bring to the role" when he joins at the beginning of 2027.
McCullough, a highly respected figure in F1, spent more than a decade at the team now known as Aston Martin, through its previous guises as Force India and Racing Point. Before that, he worked at Williams and Sauber.
In January 2025, a restructure led to him being moved off the F1 race team and to their performance technologies division.
The new role effectively runs all aspects of the race team under team principal Laurent Mekies.
It remains to be seen whether his appointment will ease the path to Red Bull and McLaren negotiating a settlement that allows Lambiase to leave earlier than currently stated.
Lambiase has become well known as Max Verstappen's race engineer, and for the direct and unfiltered relationship between them through their team radio messages.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Red Bull and McLaren will negotiate an early release for Gianpiero Lambiase to join McLaren before 2028
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What specific responsibilities will Tom McCullough have as head of racing at Red Bull?
- When exactly will Gianpiero Lambiase join McLaren as chief racing officer?
- Will Red Bull and McLaren reach an early settlement for Lambiase's release?
- How will McCullough's background in performance technologies influence his approach to race team management?
