Stella shuts down Ferrari rumors, lifts lid on Lambiase hire

McLaren’s bold move to recruit race engineer GianPiero Lambiase from Red Bull sent shockwaves through the paddock – but it also ignited a swirl of speculation about the future of team principal Andrea Stella.

Some whispers went as far as suggesting Stella himself could be heading back to Ferrari in the wake of Lambiase joining McLaren in 2028.

This week, for the first time, he addressed both the rumors and the thinking behind one of Woking’s most significant hires.

Rejecting the ‘poisoned biscuits’

Stella didn’t dodge the speculation—he dismantled it, with a mix of humor and thinly veiled irritation. Reports of lucrative offers and pre-arranged deals with Ferrari, he suggested, belong more in fiction than fact.

"Honestly, some of the recent rumours, including those regarding astronomical salaries and mythical pre-contracts, have made me smile," the Italian said.

"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."

But beneath the light tone was a sharper message about the intent behind such gossip.

"It almost looks like that some envious pastry chef has tried to spoil the preparation of a good dessert at the McLaren patisserie,” he added.

"However, we do know very well how to distinguish the good ingredients from the poisoned biscuits...."

For Stella, the noise is just another external pressure – one McLaren has learned to filter out as a front-running force in the sport.

The logic of Lambiase

Beyond the "silly season" gossip, Stella provided the first deep dive into why recruiting Lambiase as Chief Racing Officer is a strategic masterstroke rather than a sign of leadership turnover.

For Stella, the acquisition is a testament to the cultural shift he has overseen at McLaren alongside CEO Zak Brown.

“GianPiero’s arrival will add a great amount of expertise and potential to the team for the long term,” Stella explained. “At the same time, it is further confirmation of how attractive McLaren has become to the best talents in Formula 1.”

The Italian noted that the team’s growth – a workforce expansion of over 20% in three years – necessitates a more robust leadership structure to combat the grueling demands of a record-breaking calendar.

Lambiase will eventually absorb the Chief Racing Officer responsibilities that Stella currently juggles alongside his duties as Team Principal.

“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,” Stella noted.

“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.”

Preparing for a new era

As the team scales up to meet the constraints of Formula 1’s mandatory budget cap while maximizing performance, Stella views the new recruitment as a vital step in future-proofing the organization.

“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,” he said.

Stella concluded by emphasizing that today’s F1 landscape requires a level of delegation and depth that didn't exist when he began his journey two decades ago.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

For McLaren, the message is clear: the dessert is baking perfectly, and no amount of "poisoned biscuits" will ruin team papaya’s voracious appetite and championship ambitions.

Read also: No pivot to 2027: Norris stands firm on McLaren’s title hopes

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook