![\"McLaren](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/XPB_1406137_HiRes.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren in 2028. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren in 2028. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
Lambiase is set to join McLaren as chief racing officer no later than 2028<\/a>, ending a long and successful stint at Red Bull where he has worked closely with Max Verstappen since 2016.<\/a><\/p>\n His move prompted speculation he could eventually replace current team principal Andrea Stella, a theory reignited in Miami when Mekies suggested the Briton was effectively stepping into such a role.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019GP\u2019 had an extraordinary opportunity. He\u2019s going to be a team principal there. [I can\u2019t] do anything else [other] than wishing him well,\u201d Mekies told Sky Sports F1.<\/p>\n McLaren, however, firmly rejected that interpretation, reiterating that Lambiase will slot into a senior role supporting Stella rather than replacing him.<\/p>\n Responding to Mekies\u2019 comments, Brown was quick to downplay the suggestion.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knows something I don\u2019t, apparently!\u201d Brown told Sky Sports F1.<\/p>\n Brown made clear he has no intention of changing leadership, backing Stella as the standout figure on the pit wall.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a great one, I\u2019ve got the best one in pit lane, Andrea Stella, so I couldn\u2019t be happier with Andrea,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Instead, Brown framed Lambiase\u2019s arrival as part of a broader strategy to strengthen McLaren\u2019s structure amid the growing demands of modern Formula 1 operations.<\/p>\n \u201cMy job as CEO is to get the best talent, to think long-term, to have the most strength on pit wall and at the factory. So Andrea has done a fantastic job, and our technical team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cGP is a huge talent and so when the opportunity presented itself to strengthen our racing team, that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re going to do, whether that\u2019s an engineer, a driver or a strategist, whatever the case may be.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re very happy he\u2019s going to be joining us.\u201d<\/p>\n Brown previously dismissed rumours that Lambiase would replace Stella during the April break when speaking to Speedcafe and other media<\/a>, adding that the increasing complexity of the team principal role was a key factor behind the appointment, explaining that Stella\u2019s responsibilities currently stretch across multiple areas.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the racing operations side, Andrea, in reality, kind of has three jobs,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we sometimes talk about he has two. He actually has three.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the team principal, he runs the racing team, and he also plays a big role in kind of a technical director capacity.<\/p>\n \u201cAndrea is kind of the glue that brings that together.<\/p>\n \u201cNow you\u2019re seeing most teams with the CEO and team principal, now you\u2019re seeing the team principal role evolve.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd these teams are so big that if you\u2019re going to be great in all those roles \u2013 I think Andrea is very capable of doing two jobs \u2013 but asking them to do three jobs is a tall order.\u201d<\/p>\n Brown suggested Lambiase\u2019s experience would help ease that burden rather than signal a succession plan, while also leaving the door open for long-term growth within the organisation.<\/p>\n \u201cI think GP will come in and play a great role there, and then my job is always to be looking down the road, as to who can play and grow within the sport,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so certainly, given GP\u2019s experience and his age, is someone I think that can be here for a long time at McLaren and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambiase\u2019s departure marks another high-profile exit from Red Bull in recent seasons, although Mekies insisted the Milton Keynes squad remains confident in its ability to manage such changes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be defensive about it,\u201d Mekies said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have lost quite a few key people in the last four or five years, it is very true.<\/p>\n \u201cWe take it very seriously, and everything we do is to try to make sure that we have the best environment to attract, to develop and to retain our people.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m confident it\u2019s an area where we will succeed. Is it going to be a linear way to it, with nobody leaving anymore? No.\u201d<\/p>\n
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