Between confirmations and denials
During a hectic and fast-moving Thursday morning, shortly after the first reports emerged regarding the sensational move of Max Verstappen’s current race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, from Red Bull to McLaren, rumors began to circulate. Some Dutch media outlets, which had initially broken the news about Lambiase, suggested that McLaren team principal Andrea Stella would leave the team in 2028, tempted by the idea of a return to Ferrari, and that Lambiase would take over his position.
In the following hours, several denials arrived, making it clear that McLaren’s actual plan was for Stella and Lambiase to coexist within the same structure.
The definitive confirmation came directly from McLaren CEO Zak Brown via social media. In a post published on his Instagram profile, the Californian executive welcomed Lambiase but also firmly secured Stella’s position at the top of the Formula 1 team:
“I am pleased to announce that Gianpiero Lambiase will join the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team as Chief Racing Officer, reporting to Team Principal Andrea Stella, once his contract expires, no later than 2028,” Brown wrote, essentially echoing what had already been stated in the team’s official announcement. “He joins an extraordinary team led by Andrea, and I am excited about what we can achieve together.”
No change at the top, but a dream team
There will be no change at the top, therefore. In fact, Brown’s plan is quite the opposite. The intention is to create a sort of “dream team” that will allow Stella and Lambiase to work in synergy, replicating on the technical side the same kind of partnership that, from a managerial perspective, has seen Brown and Stella work closely together in recent years.
It is not difficult to imagine that, beyond financial considerations, this very philosophy and long-term vision—on which McLaren is investing heavily—played a key role in convincing Lambiase to choose the Woking factory, turning down, for example, the intense interest shown by Aston Martin over recent months.
Zak Brown has therefore successfully navigated a high-stakes week by both landing one of the most respected engineers in the paddock and putting to rest any concerns about Andrea Stella’s loyalty. By creating the role of Chief Racing Officer for Lambiase, McLaren is signaling that they are not just looking for individuals, but for a structured technical hierarchy capable of maintaining a championship challenge long into the 2020s. For the Woking squad, the future looks exceptionally bright; while their rivals are losing key figures, McLaren is consolidating a leadership group that combines the tactical brilliance of Stella with the operational mastery of Lambiase. As they prepare for the 2028 transition, the “Papaya” team is looking increasingly like the most stable and formidable force on the Formula 1 grid.
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