McLaren CEO Zak Brown has firmly stated that Andrea Stella will continue as team principal, dismissing suggestions from Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies that Gianpiero Lambiase is set to take the role.
Mekies’ Surprise Claim in Miami
Ahead of Sprint qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies caught attention by declaring that Max Verstappen’s race engineer, known as ‘GP,’ would become McLaren’s team principal. Lambiase, recently appointed as McLaren’s chief racing officer, plans to join the team after his Red Bull contract ends in 2027.
Mekies remarked to Sky Sports: “GP had an extraordinary opportunity: He’s going to be team principal there. It’s not something that I can do anything else [about] other than wishing him well.” His comments fueled speculation that Stella, who has drawn interest from Ferrari, might depart McLaren. However, insiders indicate the remarks may have been misinterpreted due to translation issues.
Brown’s Reassurance and Strategy
Brown addressed the claim directly, joking: “He knows something I don’t apparently!” He emphasized his role in securing top talent for long-term success across pit wall, factory, and design teams.
“Andrea has done a fantastic job with our technical team. GP is a huge talent,” Brown said. “When the opportunity presented itself to strengthen our racing team, that’s exactly what we’re going to do, whether it’s a racing driver, an engineer, a strategist, whatever. I’m very happy that he’s going to be joining us.”
Strong Start for McLaren in Miami
McLaren’s drivers invested extra simulator time during a quiet April, which paid dividends as Lando Norris secured pole position for Saturday’s Sprint race, ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Norris reflected: “We came into this weekend having put a lot of hard work into these upgrades, but you can never be certain what to expect until the car is on the track. I’m incredibly happy for the whole team because, from the very first lap, it felt like we had taken a step forward. It gave me the confidence I’ve been looking for, allowing me to really push and exploit its potential straight away.”
He added: “It’s a great start and it feels good to be right in the mix, but we’re keeping our feet on the ground. It was incredibly close out there with several teams looking quick and we know there are still plenty of unknowns, especially when it comes to race pace. We are still learning how to get the most out of this new package, but we’ve started as well as we could have asked for. For now, I’m happy with what we’ve achieved, and we will focus on making further improvements ahead of the sprint and Grand Prix qualifying tomorrow.”
