McLaren sought to downplay the statements made by Red Bull Racing chief Laurent Mekies about Gianpiero Lambiase’s future with the British team.
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The engineer will leave Red Bull at the end of the 2027 Formula 1 season to take on the role of sporting director at McLaren in 2028, but the British team denied that there are any plans for him to replace Andrea Stella as team principal.
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, reacted to Mekies’ comments with irony and reinforced confidence in the current leadership: “Laurent knows something I don’t, apparently! I have the best team principal in the pit lane, Andrea Stella, and I couldn’t be more satisfied,” he said.
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Brown also highlighted that Lambiase’s arrival is part of an internal strengthening strategy, with no impact on Stella’s position. According to him, the Italian holds multiple roles and the team’s structure has evolved to divide responsibilities in key areas.
Still according to the CEO, the hiring targets the long term and the team’s growth: “Lambiase is a huge talent and, when the opportunity arose to strengthen our team, that’s exactly what we did. We want the best names, whether engineer, driver, or strategist,” he added, emphasizing that Lambiase will have an important role but subordinate to the current leadership.
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