Zak Brown dismisses speculation Lambiase will replace Stella as McLaren Team Principal

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has humorously dismissed suggestions from Red Bull's Laurent Mekies that incoming Chief Racing Officer GianPiero Lambiase is destined to become the team's future principal, reaffirming his full confidence in current boss Andrea Stella. Brown clarified that Lambiase's 2028 arrival is designed to strengthen the racing operations team and alleviate Stella's significant workload, not to replace him.

Why it matters:

The public speculation about Lambiase's ultimate role highlights the intense scrutiny and rumor mill surrounding key personnel moves in Formula 1. Brown's firm backing of Stella is crucial for maintaining stability and clarity within a team currently enjoying a strong competitive upswing. It also underscores the evolving complexity of F1 team structures, where leadership roles are becoming more specialized to manage the immense technical and operational demands.

The details:

• Red Bull announced last month that Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer, GianPiero 'GP' Lambiase, will join McLaren in 2028 as Chief Racing Officer, reporting to Team Principal Andrea Stella.
• Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies fueled replacement rumors by stating, "You know he's going to be a team principal there."
• When shown a clip of Mekies' comment, Brown quipped, "He knows something I don't, apparently," before offering a strong endorsement of Stella, calling him "the best one in pit lane."
• Brown explained that Stella currently effectively manages three major roles: Team Principal, head of the race team, and a significant technical director capacity alongside Peter Prodromou.
• The appointment of Lambiase is framed as a strategic, long-term move to bolster the team's talent pool and allow Stella to focus his immense capabilities more effectively, not as a succession plan.

What's next:

Lambiase will see out his contract with Red Bull, which expires at the end of the 2027 season, before beginning his new chapter at McLaren. His integration as Chief Racing Officer will be closely watched to see how it reshapes the team's operational hierarchy and supports Stella. For now, Brown's comments have firmly shut the door on immediate leadership change rumors, aiming to ensure the team's focus remains squarely on its current championship challenge.