‘Icing on the cake’ – McLaren lifts lid on surprise GianPiero Lambiase signing

Andrea Stella believes the signing of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull race engineer GianPiero Lambiase is a reflection of how McLaren has become “attractive to the best talents” in F1.

And he has hailed the arrival of Lambiase as “the classic icing on a cake that already has all the right ingredients.”

McLaren boss Andrea Stella: GianPiero Lambiase signing the ‘icing on the cake’

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McLaren announced the signing of Lambiase from Red Bull last week, with the 45-year-old set to arrive in the role of chief racing officer ‘no later’ than 2028.

Lambiase will adopt some of Stella’s current responsibilities when he joins from Red Bull.

McLaren is believed to have fought off competition to secure Lambiase’s services, with PlanetF1.com reporting last month that the engineer had previously been approached over a senior role with the Aston Martin team.

Lambiase, who has acted as Verstappen’s race engineer since May 2016, is the latest big name to leave Red Bull for McLaren, following in the footsteps of chief designer Rob Marshall and sporting director Will Courtenay.

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Under the leadership of Stella and chief executive Zak Brown, McLaren has returned to the fore over recent years, winning consecutive constructors’ championships in 2024/25.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris became McLaren’s first drivers’ world champion since 2008 last year.

Stella believes McLaren’s resurgence has made the team “attractive” to figures of Lambiase’s stature.

He told McLaren’s official website: “GianPiero’s arrival will add a great amount of expertise and potential to the team for the long term.

“At the same time, it is further confirmation of how attractive McLaren has become to the best talents in Formula 1.

“This credibility we have gained is the result of the hard work done by all men and women who have worked at McLaren over recent years to build a culture that allows people to grow and contribute to the common goal in a healthy and enjoyable environment.

“On top of McLaren’s results on the track and the team’s ethos perceived in the right way from the outside, I am convinced contributed to GianPiero deciding to join us.

“GianPiero’s arrival is the classic icing on a cake that already has all the right ingredients in the first place.

“For me, he will be a key support, filling the role of chief racing officer, a position I currently hold alongside my role as team principal.

“Together with Zak, we have always worked over the past three years to ensure the continuity over the long term in terms of leadership and expertise.

“This is particularly true for certain key roles like positions in the race team.

“It is above all in this area that the expansion of the calendar has had significant consequences in terms of personal commitment and quality of life.

“Today’s Formula 1 is very different from when I started my career over 20 years ago.

“The size of a top team has more than doubled; just consider that our workforce has grown by over 20 per cent in numerical terms over the last three years.

“Today, we have reached a size that is compatible with the constraints imposed by the budget cap and functional to the objective to deliver the level of performance required to succeed.

“The role of team principal has also become more complex.

“Zak and I have built a flat team structure in which it is essential to ensure all leaders are properly empowered, but at the same time we must guarantee there is always the necessary level of long-term support.

“It goes without saying that, with this approach, the dual role I currently hold could not be sustainable in the long run.”

Stella’s latest comments come after he laughed off suggestions that he could make a surprise return to Ferrari.

Initial media reports after Lambiase’s switch claimed that he is being lined up to potentially succeed Stella, who had reportedly attracted interest from Ferrari.

PlanetF1.com understands that Stella’s role remains unchanged and that a move to Ferrari, where he previously worked between 2000 and 2014, is not on the cards.

However, it is possible that Lambiase could be considered as a replacement for Stella when the role of McLaren team principal next becomes available, with sources indicating to PlanetF1.com that this scenario may have been sold to Lambiase ahead of his move from Red Bull.

Stella said of the rumours linking him with Ferrari: “Honestly, some of the recent rumours, including those regarding astronomical salaries and mythical pre-contracts, have made me smile.

“It almost seems as though the ‘silly season’, which usually begins before summer, has arrived early!

“I’m quite used to this sort of thing by now and I take [it] with a smile.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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