Stella dismisses new succession rumors regarding Lambiase.
Andrea Stella has responded to renewed speculation regarding the potential replacement of him as McLaren team principal by Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. These rumors re-emerged after Red Bull's Laurent Mekies suggested in Canada that Lambiase's future role would be as a team principal at McLaren.
"From my understanding, GP is heading to McLaren to take on the role of team principal," said Mekies. "That's what I mentioned before. We've had several discussions before he made his decision." He added, "Don’t ask me about the timing; that's not for me to say. I can only share the details of our talks."
Mekies' remarks only intensified speculation that Stella might eventually make a return to Ferrari, where he previously worked during the Michael Schumacher era. However, amid these rumors, Stella emphasized that he views Lambiase's arrival as a way to strengthen McLaren’s leadership rather than as a replacement.
"I was part of the Ferrari team in the early 2000s, and I understand the level of expertise and leadership needed for success now and in the future," Stella remarked. "Hiring GP fits this vision, which aims to create additive leadership that integrates with our current leadership to build an even stronger team at McLaren."
Stella expressed his strong desire for GP to join McLaren. He acknowledged the increasing demands of managing the reigning world champions: "I am very stretched in my role as team principal, and I need a strong leadership team alongside me." He reiterated, "The plan is clear. Any further speculation just leads us back to the silly season."
Stella, at 55, made his commitment to McLaren very clear. "I am completely dedicated to McLaren," he asserted. "Our mission is straightforward: we need to fill that new area of the trophy cabinet for the coming years at McLaren." Regarding Lambiase, Stella stated that his recruitment is part of a strategy to attract top talent in Formula 1.
"At McLaren, we aim to employ the best people in Formula 1, with the best expertise and leadership," he noted. "The fact that GP chose to join McLaren speaks to the credibility of our team." He concluded, "So, as for the silly season? Our priority is stability and attracting the best talents in Formula 1 to McLaren."
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