Reporters were surprised by Max Verstappen’s reaction when he saw race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase crying in the pit lane after losing the title to Lando Norris

Abu Dhabi – Tension hung like a shimmering mist over the Yas Marina Circuit as the flag dropped in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Max Verstappen, the untouchable four-time world champion from the Netherlands, had just dominated the race.

His Red Bull RB21 cut through the night desert air like a knife, with a comfortable margin of twelve seconds over second place Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris, the British McLaren driver, finished third – just enough to take the title, just two points ahead of Verstappen.

It was a bittersweet end to a season full of drama, twists and an unprecedented three-way battle between Verstappen, Norris and Piastri.

The paddock was buzzing with emotions. Norris, 26 years young and in his seventh season at McLaren, climbed out of his car and was swarmed by team members. Champagne flowed, tears flowed, and the British flag flew proudly in the wind.

It was the first title for McLaren since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, and the eleventh for a British driver in Formula 1 history. “This is unbelievable,” Norris stammered into his radio, his voice breaking with discharge. “We did it, guys.

This is for everyone who believed in it.” His comeback was epic: after a disastrous exit at Zandvoort, where he fell 34 points behind Piastri, Norris had unleashed a ‘Lando 2.0’ – more aggressive, smarter, unstoppable.

But on the other side of the garage it was a different story. Verstappen parked his car, got out and walked into the pit lane with his characteristic, almost nonchalant step. The cameras zoomed in, journalists positioned themselves for the ceremony.

What no one expected unfolded in a split second. There, on the edge of the Red Bull garage, sat Gianpiero Lambiase – better known as ‘GP’ – the race engineer who has been Versteappen’s right-hand man for years.

The Italian, normally the voice of calm and precision in Versteappen’s ear, sat slumped on a folding chair, his face buried in his hands. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his shoulders shook.

It was a raw, unfiltered expression of sadness, a rare moment of vulnerability in the tough world of Formula 1.

Reporters, including yours truly, watched with their mouths open. We had prepared ourselves for the usual post-race rituals: Verstappen offering professional congratulations, a quick analysis of the strategy, maybe a joke about the pit stop that was just not perfect. Instead, Verstappen stopped abruptly.

His helmet still on, visor half lowered, he stared at Lambiase. Time seemed to stand still. The crowd pressed closer, microphones were raised, but Verstappen ignored everything. He walked straight up to his engineer, crouched down and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, GP,” came his voice, muffled through the helmet microphone but clearly audible to those nearby. “Cheer up, man. This isn’t the end. We’re stronger than ever.”

Verstappen’s response was heartbreaking in its simplicity. No anger, no blame for the team or the bad luck that had plagued the season – from engine problems in Hungary to the disqualification of Norris and Piastri in Las Vegas.

Instead, a tacit acknowledgment of the pain they shared. Lambiase looked up, his eyes red and swollen, and muttered something unintelligible. Verstappen pulled him up, hugged him briefly but intensely, and whispered: “Next year we’ll get it back.

Together.” The moment lasted barely thirty seconds, but it touched everyone. Even the McLaren crew, still high from their triumph, applauded respectfully from a distance.

“We were surprised,” a Sky Sports reporter admitted later in the press conference. “Max is always the stoic, the winner who rarely sheds a tear.

But this? This showed the person behind the champion.” Verstappen himself, seated at the table next to Norris and Piastri, waved away the fuss with a half smile. “GP is family,” he said simply in broken English, his accent thick with emotion. “We gave everything this year.

Nine wins, eight for me – that’s not a failure. I have no regrets. This was my best season ever, purely in terms of driving.” He looked at Norris, who nodded in agreement. “Congratulations, Lando. You deserve it. But get ready for revenge.”

The 2025 season was a rollercoaster. Red Bull started dominantly, but McLaren’s upgrades in Miami turned the battle around. Norris and Piastri formed a duo that looked unstoppable, with Norris taking his first win at Imola and Piastri leading until midway through the year.

Verstappen fought back with epic overtaking maneuvers, such as in Qatar where he stormed from P12 to P1. The title battle became a chess game: Norris only had to finish third in Abu Dhabi, regardless of what Verstappen did.

McLaren played it perfectly – Piastri kept the Australian out of the pits for a long time to protect Norris, a strategic masterstroke that secured the British title.

Yet there was no resentment. After the press conference, the three title candidates posed together on stage, smiling for the cameras. Norris lifted the trophy, Verstappen clapped first, and Piastri, third in the championship, thirteen points behind, joked about a “family party” at McLaren.

Behind the scenes, however, Lambiase recovered with the help of the team. “Max saved me at that moment,” he later told Italian media. “He reminds me why we do this: not for the glory, but for the band.”

The Formula 1 world now speaks of this moment as a turning point. In a sport full of egos and rivalries, Verstappen showed vulnerability, and it was contagious. Fans on social media shared the video en masse, with hashtags such as #MaxGP and #F1Family.

Even FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem praised it as “the heart of our sport”. For Verstappen, who will be chasing his fifth title next year, this loss is fuel. “Two points,” he repeated grimly. “That still stings. But it makes us hungrier.”

As the lights of Yas Marina dimmed and the drivers left, the image remained: a champion consoling his engineer, amid cheers and wails. It was not a fairy tale with a happy ending for Verstappen, but a lesson in humanity.

In the fast-paced world of Formula 1, where milliseconds count, this reminded us that seconds of sincerity make all the difference. Norris may wear the crown, but Verstappen has the soul of a winner – and that promises fireworks for 2026.