MAY 29, 2026

Stella shuts down fresh Lambiase succession rumours

Andrea Stella has pushed back against renewed speculation that Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is being lined up to replace him as McLaren team principal.

The rumours resurfaced after Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies suggested again in Canada that Lambiase's future role at McLaren would be as a team principal.

Look, it's certainly my understanding that GP is going to McLaren to become a team principal, Mekies said.

That's what I told you at the time. Obviously, we had a number of conversations before he was going to make the decision.

Now don't ask me if it's going to happen, the timing of it is none of my business. I can just tell you the content of our conversations.

Mekies' comment only fuelled ongoing speculation that Stella could eventually return to Ferrari, where he previously worked during the Michael Schumacher era.

However, speaking amid the latest round of rumours, Stella made clear he sees Lambiase's arrival as strengthening McLaren's leadership structure rather than replacing it.

I have been part of the Ferrari team in the early 2000s, and I know what level of seniority, expertise and leadership you need to be successful in the present and in the future, Stella said.

Employing GP is part of this vision, which is a vision of creating additive leadership that can integrate with the present leadership and create a stronger and stronger team at McLaren.

I very strongly wanted GP to join McLaren.

The Italian admitted the demands of running the reigning world champions have become increasingly intense. I am personally very stretched in my role as team principal, and I need a strong group of leaders working with me, Stella said.

So I think the plan is very clear. Any other speculation leads us back to the silly season.

Stella, 55, then delivered his clearest statement yet about his own future.

I'm definitely fully committed to McLaren, he insisted.

For me the mission is very clear: we need to fill that new area of the trophy cabinet for the years to come at McLaren.

As for Lambiase, Stella said his recruitment is simply part of McLaren's strategy of attracting Formula 1's top talent.

At McLaren, we want to employ the best people in Formula 1, the best expertise, the best leaders, he said. The fact that GP decided to join McLaren, for me, just speaks to the credibility of our team.

So, silly season? What's important for us is stability and that the best talents in Formula 1 want to join McLaren.

(GMM)