McCullough to replace Lambiase at Red Bull

Red Bull has confirmed that Tom McCullough will join the team at the beginning of 2027 as its new Head of Racing.

Earlier, it was reported that he was the replacement for Gianpiero Lambiase as he repares to move to McLaren.

"We’re delighted to welcome Tom to the Team at the beginning of 2027 and look forward to the wealth of experience and expertise he will bring to the role," Red Bull said.

The confirmation comes as Red Bull heads to Monza with renewed optimism that Max Verstappen could spring one of the surprises of the season.

Former F1 driver Christijan Albers told De Telegraaf that the low-downforce characteristics should suit the RB22 particularly well. "Basically, it’s almost impossible to predict how the Italian GP weekend will go," he started.

"But I’m certain that Red Bull can compete with Max. They are incredibly strong on tracks with low downforce."

Verstappen was also competitive at Spa, another circuit where straight-line efficiency matters heavily. "Max’s car is fast on the straights," said Albers, "so I believe they will be competitive in Italy."

"I believe that Max can pull off one of the big surprises of the 2026 season at Monza."

Albers also noted that championship leader Kimi Antonelli is facing a grid penalty to accommodate the ADUO upgrade. "In my view, Max has a good chance in Monza also because Antonelli has to serve his penalty for installing new engine parts," said the Dutchman.

After Monza, however, Albers expects Verstappen’s title challenge to become much more difficult.

"In my view, it will likely come down to a duel between Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes and Lando Norris in the McLaren."

Norris arrives at Monza having won the last two races, in Hungary and Zandvoort, but McLaren itself is warning that the Italian circuit could shuffle the competitive order.

Technical director Neil Houldey said: "We know we have had a quick car at the last few races, but we are not taking anything for granted."

"This is a very different track from the most recent ones, and we can expect a pecking order that not necessarily reflects what has been seen in Hungary and in the Netherlands."

McLaren has also confirmed that its so-called H-Wing - its version of the ’Macarena’ rotating rear-wing concept - will make its race-weekend debut at Monza after being tested in Hungary.

"This weekend, we have brought what we believe is needed to be competitive, including a new low-drag rear wing specification, including the first use of our H-Wing," Houldey said.

The team says the system’s name is a deliberate reference to the famous 2010 F-duct, this time taking the "H" from Etihad Airways branding on the rear wing.