Andrea Stella on Gianpiero Lambiase: why McLaren signed Max Verstappen’s race engineer. Andrea Stella explains why McLaren signed Gianpiero Lambiase from Red Bull.

The team principal of the reigning Constructors’ World Champion has explained the reasoning behind the signing of Max Verstappen’s current race engineer.

The Lambiase signing

Anyone who imagined Gianpiero Lambiase joining McLaren to replace Andrea Stella has had to reconsider. The transfer rumours that emerged in the hours immediately following the announcement of the current race engineer of Max Verstappen joining the reigning Constructors’ World Champion team were quickly dismissed. As recently confirmed by Stella himself, Lambiase will work with him, not in his place, forming a dual leadership structure at the heart of McLaren’s race operations.

In an interview with McLaren’s official website, Stella explained in detail the reasons that led him and CEO Zak Brown to plan and execute the signing of Lambiase. The move already outlines, two years in advance, the operational structure that will guide the British team from the 2028 season onwards.

“The arrival of Gianpiero is the icing on a cake that already has all the right ingredients,” Andrea Stella commented. “For me he will be a key support, taking on the role of Chief Racing Officer, a position I currently combine with my role as Team Principal. Together with Zak, over the last three years we have always worked to ensure long-term continuity in terms of leadership and expertise. This especially applies to certain key roles, such as positions within the race team. It is precisely in this area that the expanded calendar has had significant consequences in terms of personal commitment and quality of life.”

A statement of strength

“Today’s Formula 1 is very different from when I started my career,” Andrea Stella continued. “The size of a top team has now more than doubled. Just consider that our workforce has increased by over 20% in numerical terms over the last three years. The role of Team Principal has therefore also become more complex. Zak and I have built a horizontal team structure, where it is essential to ensure that all leaders have the right autonomy, while at the same time guaranteeing the necessary long-term support. It goes without saying that, with this approach, the dual role I currently hold would not be sustainable in the long term.” – the former Ferrari race engineer explained.

But on an image level as well, McLaren’s ability to take such an important figure from Red Bull—someone so closely linked to Max Verstappen—represents a strong statement of intent from the Woking-based team.

“The arrival of Lambiase is further confirmation of how attractive McLaren has become to the best talents in Formula 1,” Stella confirmed. “This credibility we have gained is the result of the hard work carried out by all the men and women at McLaren over recent years to build a culture that allows people to grow and contribute to a shared goal in a healthy and enjoyable environment. Beyond McLaren’s on-track results and the team ethic perceived from the outside, I am convinced that this has contributed to Gianpiero’s decision to join us.”